STATEMENT BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITH REFERENCE TO MEDIA REPORTS OF HUMAN REMAINS AT MAGHTAB

Reference is made to the various news items reported in the local media claiming that human remains are being dumped at the Maghtab landfill by hospital employees.

In view of these very serious allegations, the Health Department has undertaken an immediate internal investigation at St. Luke's Hospital. The hospital policy pertinent to these types of clinical waste is that small organs are destroyed in the hospital incinerator whilst larger limbs and foetuses are buried in the cemetery.

Human remains can originate only from very specific locations namely operating theatres, mortuary and pathology departments. Written statements have been received from each manager of these departments confirming that this policy is being rigidly followed.

In addition the hospital waste manager has categorically denied that any employees have ever been instructed to undertake the aforementioned alleged practices and that all human remains are in fact being routinely incinerated. It should also be pointed out that green bags have not been distributed within St. Luke's Hospital for the past year.

The only hospital waste that is dumped at the Maghtab landfill is household type waste. This is collected by a licensed carrier in agreement with the Environmental Protection Department and taken to the landfill in late afternoon. No hospital employees are detailed to convey waste directly to Maghtab. Clinical waste is always segregated at source and stringent efforts are made to keep it separate from the domestic waste stream.

Finally it should be pointed out that St. Luke's Hospital is not the only healthcare facility in Malta that performs surgical operations and such gratuitous reference without proper verification of the facts is totally unwarranted.