78 Nurses Quit Profession In Malta Every Year As Shortage Crisis Grows
Malta has seen an average of almost 78 nurses resign every year from the public health sector, since 2017, before even reaching retirement.
Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne revealed the figures following a parliamentary question by PN MP Ivan Castillo into the issue.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of nurses was felt across Malta and the globe. But that has not stopped the country from witnessing an exodus of nurses, the majority being foreign nationals, who have started leaving en masse due to issues in Malta, like rising costs and visa troubles.
In 2021, more than 120 nurses left their jobs at Mater Dei Hospital, and figures for this year don’t look promising.
In 2021, Paul Pace, the head of Malta’s nursing union, warned that around 400 people quit the public service this year alone. And while a third of these resignations came from a foreign workforce, Maltese nurses, particularly young ones, are also moving overseas.
Amid long hours, shortages of staff, and the increasing piles of administrative work leaking into an already demanding workload, Malta’s uncompetitive wages are taking their toll. And as costs of living continue to rise, employees are often left with no choice but to look to pastures new.
In Malta, new nurses start off on Scale 10 of the civil service, equivalent to just under €20,000 a year (or €1,632 a month) which can increase with allowances.
As nurses continue to leave in droves, should the state prioritise better working conditions, if not better wages?