This summer we were promised that a new health center will be opened in Siġġiewi within the housing project being built on Mdina Road. It is a well-needed project that the people I'm meeting, especially the elderly, are calling for. Why should we have to go to Qormi or even Floriana (since the Qormi centre is closed for refurbishment) for basic medical services? This is a genuine need of the residents of Siġġiewi which seems to have been heeded to by the government.
However, we have been told that this centre will be completed by September. We are in mid-October, and the people of Siġġiewi still have to go to other health centres. The project completion dtae has been renewed by some more months. One can only wait and see when this project will come to fruition.
Another unanswered question is what services will be offered in this center. Will it be a health center with all the services offered such as those offered in centres like Qormi or Mosta? Will it be a specialized health center for a particular sector such as the elderly or will it offer general services? Or will it offer basic emergency services? Or is it true that the primary aim of the project is that of a medical call centre? More clarity in this regard is due.
So far, the place appears to still be under construction, certainly not suitable for neither nurses nor patients. According to the information I've been given, nurses have already started working on the site (still a construction site) for the primary aim of the project, that of a call centre.
Dialogue is everything in politics. The politician explains his vision, and people respond with feedback. The same two-way dialogue should go for this project - people are waiting for an exact explanation of when this project will be completed and what services will it offer. We deserve nothing less. Nonetheless, we look forward to having a high-quality health center for the residents of Siġġiewi.
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