Updated 0930
Health centres need more staff, not longer hours, doctors say
Opening more health centres at night would not address the main pressures facing Malta’s healthcare system, the Medical Association of Malta said.
Responding to Momentum, MAM said there was no evidence of significant waiting times at health centres during the night and warned that Malta did not have enough senior medical staff to safely operate existing centres, let alone expand services around the clock.
The association said spreading an already stretched primary-care workforce across more locations could weaken existing services. It also stressed that primary care could not substitute for hospital treatment when additional hospital resources were needed.
MAM called for greater investment in prevention, health promotion, screening and chronic disease management to reduce the number of patients eventually requiring hospital care.
It also advocated more continuity and appointment-based primary care, allowing doctors to follow patients over time rather than relying predominantly on walk-in services where patients may see different doctors.
Malta government systems prepared for emerging cyber threats
Malta’s government IT infrastructure has measures to respond to emerging cyber threats, including previously unknown vulnerabilities, the Malta Information Technology Agency told MaltaToday.
MITA said its cybersecurity capabilities allow it to monitor and respond to threats such as zero-day vulnerabilities, which are security flaws unknown to developers and potentially exploitable before a fix is available.
Depending on the severity of an attack, measures can include increased monitoring, temporary protective controls, system configuration changes, accelerated security updates and coordination with relevant stakeholders and technology partners.
MITA did not disclose operational security procedures but said its established incident management practices involve assessing threats, reducing risks and coordinating with public entities and trusted partners.
The comments followed reports of an Australian government website being hacked by an AI agent, raising concerns about the growing ability of artificial intelligence to automate cyber-attacks.
AI expert Alexiei Dingli said the incident should not be viewed as proof that governments are powerless, but highlighted the need for continued investment in cybersecurity as increasingly capable tools become available.
Morning Briefing
Super bonus unlikely to feature in budget – Minister
The €1,000 annual “super bonus” promised by Labour is unlikely to feature in next month’s Budget, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has indicated. Caruana stopped short of ruling out the measure, but said the electoral manifesto was intended to be implemented over the government’s five-year term. He said the government’s immediate priorities were safeguarding energy prices and keeping public finances healthy. Labour had promised the yearly payment to workers who have lived in Malta for more than five years. Caruana also stressed the need for greater discipline in public spending, saying government entities would no longer receive funding for additional expenses that could have been avoided. He rejected suggestions that this amounted to austerity, saying spending would instead be prioritised, with energy taking precedence. The government expects to spend around €500 million on the energy sector in 2027, including subsidies and infrastructure, while education and healthcare spending would not be affected, Caruana said. (Times of Malta)
Court allows Schembri rights case against MPs to proceed
The First Hall of the Civil Court in its Constitutional Jurisdiction has discharged the State Advocate from a human rights lawsuit filed by former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, while allowing the case to proceed against the Speaker of the House and three Opposition MPs. The case concerns alleged fundamental rights breaches during Schembri’s testimony before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee in 2023. In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, Mr Justice Aaron Bugeja ruled that the dissolution of Parliament did not remove Schembri’s status as a victim or make the case irrelevant. The court found that the State Advocate had no direct involvement in the parliamentary proceedings and could not provide a remedy concerning internal parliamentary rules or MPs’ conduct. However, it rejected preliminary pleas by Speaker Angelo Farrugia and MPs Darren Carabott, David Agius and Graham Bencini. The court said they remained proper respondents over their actions during the PAC proceedings. (The Malta Independent)
Gozo climate plan proposes measures to reduce car use
A new strategic framework for Gozo’s transition towards net-zero emissions by 2040 has identified private vehicle use as the island’s biggest climate concern. The Gozo Climate Neutral Plan, published by the Gozo Regional Development Authority and KPMG, is a non-binding discussion paper. Based on emissions data from 2016 to 2023, stakeholder workshops and a survey of 132 people, it found that 60% of respondents identified private vehicles as Gozo’s most carbon-intensive sector. Among its proposed measures are dynamic ferry pricing for non-resident tourist cars during peak periods, aimed at encouraging visitors to leave their vehicles behind. The plan also proposes demand-based paid parking in congested areas to discourage excessive private car use and promote public transport. Both measures are classified as potentially implementable within two years. (Maltatoday)
