While healthcare workers are working hard to safeguard our health, tourist industry representatives are making irresponsible statements
Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party notes that the Maltese national health service has proved its worth during the past months. The greatest appreciation for making this service effective must surely go to all healthcare workers, from cleaners, to health assistants and carers in retirement homes and hospitals, to nurses, various health professionals and doctors. These people have worked hard and are still working hard to protect public health and continue caring for patients and vulnerable persons throughout this pandemic.
Other public service workers, from police officers to environmental health officers have also worked hard to enforce and educate the public about new public health regulations. It is also pertinent to point out that over 300 healthcare workers have ended up in quarantine because they put duty and patient care above everything else. Out of respect for these workers, it is everybody’s duty to be careful, act responsibly and avoid situations which may increase the spread of COVID-19.
We must all make sure that the situation remains under control. It is also important that authorities, and Ministers and the Prim Minister refrain from taking rash decisions. Ministers and the Prime Minister should also model cautious behaviour; press conferences involving small crowds of people have been the order of the day. It seems that getting coverage is more important than modelling responsible behaviour for some Ministers. Additionally, the Prime Minister is using Labour Party activities to spout ill-informed messages which clash with the more cautious official messages given by health authorities.
AD Secretary General Ralph Cassar said:”In the current situation it is also highly irresponsible for tourist industry representative Tony Zahra to do the rounds of the media trying to minimise and ridicule the efforts of healthcare workers to contain the pandemic. Tony Zahra should realise that an immediate opening of the tourist season would ruin all the sacrifices made by people and healthcare workers. The focus should be on a new normal for tourism. Tony Zahra should ask himself whether an industry which depends on nearly 3 million tourists a year is sustainable. Maybe he should ask himself whether it is high time that the so-called eco-contribution paid by tourists is used for green transport and green energy infrastructure, and is increased from the laughable 50 cents per night.
Maybe we should decide once and for all to stop increasing tourist beds and stop building hotels to limit the amount of tourists to a more sustainable number. Maybe Tony Zahra could explain how the industry makes its profits off the backs of poorly paid workers.”
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Filwaqt li hawn ħaddiema li qed jagħmlu s-sagrifiċċji minħabba saħħitna, rappreżentant tal-industrija tat-turiżmu qed ikun irresponsabbli
Alternattiva Demokratika tinnota li f’dawn l-aħħar xhur is-servizz pubbliku tas-saħħa ħadem tajjeb, grazzi speċjalment għall-ħaddiema f’das-settur: mill-cleaners, assistenti u ħaddiema fil-kura tal-anzjani, sa’ infermiera, professjonijiet varji fil-qasam tas-saħħa u tobba. Dawn għamlu u qed jagħmlu sagrifiċċji u sforzi kbar biex jipproteġu s-saħħa pubblika u biex jgħinu lill-pazjenti u persuni vulnerabbli fid-diversi sptarijiet u djar tal-anzjani fost oħrajn. Ma nistgħux lanqas ninsew lill-Puluzija u lill-ħaddiema tas-saħħa ambjentali li wkoll kellhom xogħol differenti u aktar intensiv mis-soltu biex jinfurzaw d-direttivi tas-saħħa pubblika u jedukaw lin-nies.
Bħalissa hawn ‘il fuq 300 ħaddiem mill-qasam tas-saħħa li qegħdin kwarantina, propju għax poġġew id-dover u d-dmir l-ewwel. Huwa għalhekk li huwa d-dmir tagħna lkoll li nibqgħu kawti u attenti biex is-sitwazzjoni tibqa’ taħt kontroll. Huwa wkoll obbligu tal-awtoritajiet u fl-aħħar mill-aħħar tal-Ministri u tal-Prim Ministru li ma’ jeħdux deċiżjonijiet mgħaġġla u li ma jagħtux eżempju ħażin b’konferenzi stampa bl-addoċċ l-aqwa li jidhru fil-mezzi tax-xandir. Il-messaġġi li qed jingħataw mill-Prim Ministru waqt attivitajiet tal-Partit Laburista qed joħolqu t-taħwid, għax xi drabi jikkuntrastaw mal-messaġġi uffiċċjali tal-awtoritajiet tas-saħħa.
Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ AD, Ralph Cassar qal:”Fl-isfond ta’ dan kollu huwa irresponsabbli li r-rappreżentant tal-industrija tat-turiżmu Tony Zahra, qed jimminimizza u jipprova jirredikola l-isforzi li qed jagħmlu l-ħaddiema fil-qasam tas-saħħa. Tony Zahra irid jifhem li ftuħ immedjat u bl-addoċċ tal-istaġun turistiku jġib fix-xejn l-isforzi u s-sagrifiċċji li saru minn kulħadd fl-aħħar ġimgħat. Kien ikun aħjar li jsir sforz biex l-industrija tat-turiżmu ma’ tibqax tiddependi fuq kważi tlett miljun turist fis-sena, li żgur mhux numru sostenibbli.
Kien ikun aħjar jekk naraw kif l-eko-kontribuzzjoni li jħallsu t-turisti issir verament waħda li tiffinanzja proġetti ta’ fejda ambjentali u ta’ trasport, enerġija u infrastruttura ambjentali sostenibbli u ma tibqax il-miżerja ta’ 50 ċenteżmu kuljum. Kien ikun aħjar kieku n-numru ta’ sodod għat-turisti jiġi limitat għal wieħed raġjonevoli. Kien ikun aħjar li s-Sur Zahra jara wkoll kif l-industrija ma tibqax tiddependi mix-xogħol imħallas biċ-ċiċri.”
