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Malta is a European island nation situated in the Mediterranean Sea, with a population of slightly over 400,000 people. Malta has developed a sound economy based on the shipping, financial and tourism industries.
Malta enjoys good basic infrastructure, providing Maltese residents with a very good standard of living. Malta’s financial sector has been able to ride out the financial tsunami in recent years and remain relatively stable. It is a popular expatriate and holiday destination, catering for foreign visitors with a well managed and executed healthcare system.
Malta’s public healthcare system is state funded, providing its citizens with free healthcare – other than for prescription medicines – of a very high standard. Private healthcare facilities co-exist with public run healthcare facilitates in Malta.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) is responsible for overseeing the public health sector in Malta, receiving its funding through general taxation. Malta has a long standing history of providing publicly funded healthcare dating back centuries, but since joining the European Union in 2004 it has been subject to changes in organization. The objective of these changes has been to strengthen the healthcare system and update health regulations, with the emergence of higher standards of health services in Malta. Registered Maltese citizens living in Malta – and covered by Maltese social security legislation – are entitled to public healthcare services free of charge at point of use – in accordance with entitlements as determined from time to time by the Ministry of Health.
The Maltese public healthcare system is available to all Maltese registered citizens, with full free medical care. Maltese citizens are not required to make direct mandatory payments for public healthcare services. Maltese employees and employers are required to pay a weekly national insurance contribution, which provides funds for the Maltese health sector. Family members and dependents – who are not of legal working age – are covered for Maltese healthcare services by the contributions from the lead household member. Dependents on the Maltese state for income – such as pensioners, the chronically ill, workers on maternity leave, or those individuals omitted from paying any national insurance contribution – still have free access to public run healthcare facilities in
Malta.
Self employed workers in Malta are required to obtain additional health insurance in order to give them medical coverage from healthcare providers in the country.
Maltese citizens, who are deemed low-income by the Department of Social Security in Malta, will qualify for assistance from the Maltese government. Citizens who fall into the category which entitles them to state medical assistance, will receive a card, which can be used to obtain free medical prescriptions, this includes the chronically ill. Maltese citizens not entitled to the state provided medical card, will need to pay the full price for medications.
Private healthcare facilities in Malta have expanded in recent years. As the Maltese population has become more affluent they have demanded more personal medical attention, with a guarantee to see a medical consultant without delay and for convenient times for surgical procedures to be undertaken. Maltese private health providers such as St. James Hospital and St. Philip's Hospital offer a range of health services including specialized surgical procedures, radiological services and cosmetic treatments. The demand for private healthcare in Malta is driven by the perceived flaws in the Maltese healthcare system, with more affluent residents of Malta not satisfied with waiting times and the possibility that they may not get a GP referral to see a consultant. As the demand for private healthcare has expanded, the need for Maltese private health insurance policies has also increased. However, the private health sector in Malta has been criticized because of the lack of gate-keeping for the industry by the Ministry of Health.
Medical tourism has become an attraction in recent years. The Maltese private healthcare sector has been targeting patients – mainly from the United Kingdom – who are unwilling to wait for National Health Service treatment in their home country. Healthcare in the private facilities used is funded by private insurance or out of pocket payments by patients. Medical practitioners in Malta are allowed to exercise their profession in both public and private health care services.
Primary healthcare in Malta is delivered by GPs and health centers, which are available to patients all year round and operate from early morning until late evening. Maltese registered GPs and health centers are the first point of call for patients in Malta; patients must ensure the GP is registered with the state healthcare system or the patient is liable for any charges raised. Patients in Malta do not need to be registered with a specific GP prior to their medical visit – this is the key reason why they must ensure the GP is part of the public healthcare system. Malta has a problem with high GP turnover and retention of public healthcare workers as salary levels are low in the services administered by the Maltese Ministry of Health.
Malta has eight health centres which are funded by the Maltese Ministry of Health, with one health centre situated on sister island of Gozo. GPs, dentists, paramedics, nurses and health consultants are present in the Maltese health centers providing a range of medical services including immunization, dental treatment, maternity care, diabetes care and paediatrics. Medical professionals operating from Maltese health centres will also visit patients at their homes in a medical emergency including out-of-hours visits if medical treatment is urgently needed.
The smaller, less populated, towns and villages in Malta have local clinics all providing administration and medical prescription services; prescriptions have to be prescribed by a registered GP. A GP will normally arrange a specific time when they will visit outlying medical clinics to treat patients.
The Maltese public healthcare system is a service known as the CommCare Assessment Unit (CAU) which is aimed at ensuring the elderly Maltese population are looked after. The unit is staffed by registered nurses who treat patients on a community basis. The CAU’s aim is to help vulnerable patients ensuring their health is monitored on a regular basis and that their independence is maintained. The CAUs is also designed to relieve pressure on primary health centers in Malta.
Medical consultants in Malta are specialists in a certain medical discipline and will normally treat a patient after referral by a GP – in the case of a medical emergency, a referral from a GP is not required. Medical consultants can be present in health centres, but most operate from hospitals. Maltese public hospitals are very well equipped, providing, medical services for both in-patient and out-patient procedures. St. Luke’s Hospital, based in the large city of Slima, provides comprehensive healthcare services to Maltese citizens, including organ transplants and open heart surgery. Hospitals in Malta have recently been modernized to bring them in line with standards applied in other European Union countries. If a Maltese hospital is not equipped to meet the medical needs of a patient, they will be sent to a medical facility in another country – normally the UK – for treatment at no direct cost to themselves.
In the case of a medical emergency, all patients in Malta will receive free healthcare through the Maltese public healthcare system. However, after a patient is stabilized, they will need to prove their right to free Maltese healthcare or supply details of private insurance coverage.
Citizens of other European Union member countries holding a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) are entitled to Maltese state-provided healthcare treatment for a reduced fee or, in appropriate circumstances, free. The EHIC is a reciprocal agreement between European countries for registered European citizens to have access to public medical facilities in member countries. Healthcare systems in member states, will provide treatment for patients who fall ill or are involved in an accident while in the member country; although it does not give the right for a person to travel to a country to seek medical treatment – only if they need medical treatment while visiting the country. Also, it does not include costs for medical transportation or continuing medical treatment. Non-European Health Insurance Card holders, will be required to pay the full cost of medical treatment in Malta. Both EHIC holders and non-EHIC card holders are strongly advised to obtain Malta health insurance, to ensure you have comprehensive medical insurance coverage.
There are private healthcare facilities available in Malta, providing a range of medical services, with some healthcare specialists being present in the Maltese private sector. There are also small private clinics which offer Maltese citizens and foreign nationals general medical services. All patients seeking medical treatment in private healthcare facilities are required to cover all payments themselves; this can be in the form either out-of-pocket payments or via private Maltese health insurance polices.
Malta has grown as a prominent expatriate and holiday destination, with a high quality healthcare infrastructure capable of meeting the needs and expectations of foreign nationals. However, it is important to take out Maltese international health insurance to give you full medical coverage for all medical eventualities, including medical repatriation – in the case of extreme medical circumstances, as this service can be very expensive.
All visitors to Malta are urged to obtain full Malta international insurance to cover you and your family while in Malta. It is recommended that you obtain comprehensive medical cover as prolonged medical treatment can be expensive in Malta; it is important to ensure your international Maltese health insurance includes air ambulance services as the cost for this service would be very costly.
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