St Vincent De Paul Authorities Were Told Karmenu Fino Should Move To Secure Ward, Judicial Protest Claims
A carer at the St Vincent de Paul facility warned authorities that Karmenu Fino should be moved to a different, more secure ward because of his condition.
Fino, a dementia patient, went missing from the facility on 28th June and his decomposed body was found on 16th July. It took weeks of forensic analysis to confirm that the body belonged to Fino.
Several staff members have been suspended because of the incident. However, a judicial protest has been filed by Robert Belli, who had worked there for almost 16 years.
He insisted that he should not be made to shoulder responsibility for Fino’s death and had flagged issues concerning the safety of residents with particular medical conditions, including Fino.
Belli claims that he has been suspended on reduced pay without the inquiry into the case running its natural course and stressed that he always following standard protocols within the facility.
He is demanding his immediate re-employment and his return to his previous wages. The judicial protest was submitted against the Prime Minister, the Minister for Active Ageing, the Principal Permanent Secretary, CEO at SVDP and the Public Service Commission.
An independent inquiry has placed the blame on the staff working the shift the night Fino went missing, as well as the security team.
However many, including the Malta Union for Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) have pointed towards errors within the system that have enabled such an event to happen, such as the severe staff shortages.
Fino was residing in an open ward which allows patients to enter and leave as the resident pleases. Such wards do not have any locked doors and offer no restrictions for patients.
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