Lack of forethought in healthcare policies is resulting in additional costs to individuals. Others are suffering due to inadequate support in their condition. This is making vulnerable people even more at risk both physically and mentally. ADPD-The Green Party spokespersons addressed these issues at a press conference in front of the Ministry of Health this morning.

ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said those living with ADHD in Malta can not access the medication which is being prescribed by their doctors causing them undue stress and delaying their access to healthcare. Additionally the waiting time and barriers to being diagnosed with ADHD, especially for adults is unacceptable. This is due to expired tenders, an incomplete list of medications offered in Malta, and inadequate funding for mental health services. Instead people with ADHD often resort to very expensive private diagnosis and medication in order to meet the basic needs in their lives.

Gauci said there are many who are silently suffering due to these issues, especially the supply shortage of medication. This has a high impact on their life, as being forced to go without medication or to change it requires a clear medical plan and can not be done from one day to the next. School, college and University students diagnosed with ADHD, prescribed these medications and impacted by these supply issues will have to face even more burdens to focus and perform as we enter the exam season. Workers facing the same shortage issues experience work based stress and threat to their income if they don’t perform to the neurotypical standards.

Others who are impacted by inadequate support in healthcare due to invisible disabilities are the community of people in Malta with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Long Covid. Conditions with heavy impact on both mental and physical health due to symptoms like debilitating pain, chronic fatigue, mental fog. What plans are in place to support these people with their conditions?

Gauci said these are just some examples of how lack of forethought in policies will impact us in the long term. Access to appropriate mental health care is a social issue, and is not given enough priority in Malta. We appeal for these invisible disabilities to be granted access to disability support in Malta. Mental health care should not come at an additional cost to the individual! They should be supported as much as possible by the health care system, Gauci concluded.

ADPD Deputy Chairperson Mina Jack Tolu and spokesperson on European Union & Civil Rights said that Greens elected to the European Parliament will ensure that everyone in the EU has a right to health. Underinvestment, privatization, and the neglect of preventative approaches put patients and health workers at risk, physically and mentally. We will push to eliminate health inequities and guarantee access to affordable medicines and treatment.

The shortages of some medications is not just a local issue but also a European one. That is why it also must be tackled at the European level. The European Parliament must intervene for people across the EU with invisible disabilities who are suffering not due to their condition but because of the lack of accommodations and support offered to them.

We must fight the trend of privatisation of medicine which only puts those at the margin in further vulnerable positions, Tolu concluded.

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Il-kura tas-saħħa mentali m’għandhiex tkun ta’ piż addizzjonali għall-pazjenti

In-nuqqas ta’ ħsieb fil-politika tal-kura tas-saħħa qed jirriżulta fi spejjeż addizzjonali għall-individwi. Oħrajn qed ibatu minħabba nuqqas ta’ appoġġ għall-kundizzjoni tagħhom. Dan qed ipoggi lill-persuni vulnerabbli f’riskju akbar, kemm fiżikament kif ukoll mentalment. Kelliema tal-ADPD-The Green Party indirizzaw dan is-suġġett f’konferenza stampa quddiem il-Ministeru tas-Saħħa dalgħodu.

Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD Sandra Gauci qalet li dawk li jgħixu bl-ADHD qed idumu biex isibu l-għajnuna meħtieġa għal din il-kundizzjoni. Dan qed jikkawżalhom stress bla bżonn u jdewwem l-aċċess tagħhom għall-kura tas-saħħa. Barra minn hekk, id-dewmien u l-ostakli biex tingħata dijanjosi tal-ADHD, speċjalment għall-adulti, huma inaċċettabbli. Ma dan żid lista ta’ mediċini għall-ADHD li mhux aġġornata b’mediċini moderni għal din il-kundizzjoni u nuqqas ta’ fondi adegwati għas-servizzi tas-saħħa mentali. Minflok nies b’ADHD ħafna drabi jirrikorru għal tobba privatament u jkollhom jixtru medikazzjoni aktar effettiva imma għolja ħafna sabiex jinqdew fil-ħtiġijiet bażiċi f’ħajjithom.

Gauci qalet li hemm ħafna li qed ibatu fis-skiet minħabba dawn il-kwistjonijiet, speċjalment in-nuqqas ta’ provvista ta’ medikazzjoni. Dan għandu impatt kbir fuq ħajjithom, peress li jkunu sfurzati li ma jieħdux medikazzjoni. Biex tinbidel il-mediċina għal waħda aktar effettiva wkoll tieħu wisq żmien. L-istennija hija twila wisq. Studenti tal-iskola, kulleġġi u tal-Università għandhom dijanjożi tal-ADHD qed jiffaċċjaw diffikultajiet biex ikollhom aċċess għall-mediċini li jgħoddu għalihom u qed jiffaċċjaw saħansitra aktar ostakli biex jiffokaw u jġibu r-riżultati tajbin li kapaċi jġibu hekk kif dħalna fl-istaġun tal-eżamijiet. Ħaddiema li jiffaċċjaw l-istess kwistjonijiet ta’ nuqqas ta’ aċċess għall-kura li għandhom bżonn qed jesperjenzaw stress fuq ix-xogħol u qed jinkwietaw li jispiċċaw li ma jkunux kapaċi jwettqu xogħolhom kif suppost, b’konsegwenzi gravi għall-għajxien tagħhom.

Ma rridux ninsew lil persuni oħra li huma wkoll affettwati minn nuqqas ta’ servizzi adegwati għall-kura tas-saħħa tagħhom minħabba diżabilitajiet inviżibbli, bħal dawk bil-kundizzjonijiet tal-Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, u Long Covid. Kundizzjonijiet b’impatt qawwi kemm fuq is-saħħa mentali kif ukoll fiżika minħabba sintomi bħal uġigħ debilitanti, għejja kronika, u ‘ċpar’ mentali. Xi pjanijiet hemm biex dawn in-nies jiġu appoġġjati b’mod effettiv?

Gauci qalet li dawn huma biss xi eżempji ta’ kif in-nuqqas ta’ ħsieb minn qabel fil-politika tal-kura tas-saħħa se jaffettwana fit-tul. L-aċċess għall-kura tas-saħħa mentali xierqa hija kwistjoni soċjali, u ma tingħatax biżżejjed prijorità f’Malta. Nappellaw biex dawn id-diżabilitajiet inviżibbli jingħataw aċċess għall-appoġġ effettiv. Il-kura tas-saħħa mentali m’għandhiex tiġi bi spiża addizzjonali li mhux affordabbli għal ħafna individwi! Għandhom ikunu appoġġjati kemm jista’ jkun mis-sistema tal-kura tas-saħħa, temmet tgħid Gauci.

Id-Deputat Chairperson tal-ADPD Mina Jack Tolu u kelliem dwar l-Unjoni Ewropea u d-Drittijiet Ċivili qal li l-Ħodor eletti fil-Parlament Ewropew se jiżguraw li kulħadd fl-UE jkollu  dritt għas-saħħa. In-nuqqas ta’ investiment, il-privatizzazzjoni, u n-negliġenza u n-nuqqas ta’ prevenzjoni jpoġġu lill-pazjenti u lill-ħaddiema fil-qasam tas-saħħa f’riskju, fiżikament u mentalment. Se nirsistu biex neliminaw l-inugwaljanzi fis-saħħa u niggarantixxu aċċess għal mediċini u trattamenti affordabbli.

In-nuqqas ta’ xi mediċini mhux biss kwistjoni lokali iżda wkoll waħda Ewropea. Huwa għalhekk li dan is-suġġett għandu jiġi ttrattat ukoll fil-livell Ewropew. Il-Parlament Ewropew għandu jintervjeni għal nies madwar l-UE b’diżabilità inviżibbli li qed ibatu mhux minħabba l-kundizzjoni tagħhom iżda minħabba n-nuqqas ta’ servizzi u appoġġ offruti lilhom.

Irridu niġġieldu t-tendenza ta’ privatizzazzjoni tal-mediċina li tpoġġi lil dawk vulnerabbli f’pożizzjoni aktar u aktar diffiċli. Is-servizzi tas-saħħa u servizzi tas-soċjetà u tal-komunità kollha temm jgħid Tolu.