Nurses’ Union Flags Safety Concerns Over Patients Using Alcohol And Cannabis
The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) has raised serious concerns about patient behaviour at the Karin Grech Hospital, alleging that individuals are openly consuming alcohol and cannabis while in wards.
According to the union’s claims, these incidents are taking place “in plain sight” and signal a breakdown in supervision, safety protocols and hospital oversight.
In a statement issued by the MUMN, the union said that staff and visitors appear to have unchecked access to substances that should not be present in a controlled medical environment. The union added that such conduct jeopardises the welfare of vulnerable patients and undermines the hospital’s responsibility to maintain safe, therapeutic spaces.
MUMN is now calling on hospital management and health authorities to launch urgent investigations, implement stricter access controls and enhance on‑ward monitoring. The union emphasised that, in its view, current safeguards are either insufficient or poorly enforced- making the hospital environment more risky for both patients and staff.
While hospital management has not yet publicly confirmed the specific claims, the MUMN has urged authorities to ensure transparency in any response, and to engage frontline nursing staff in designing effective oversight measures. In their view, merely acknowledging the allegations is not enough: tangible improvements must follow.
The union’s warning highlights deeper concerns about hospital governance, ward supervision and the protection of patients who may be particularly vulnerable due to age, illness or disability. The MUMN stressed that until significant steps are taken, staff morale and patient confidence at Karen Grech may continue to suffer.
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