Year 2020

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Generosity of Volunteers to help during the COVID-19 Pandemic

March-December 2020

Thanks to the generosity of many during 2020 many volunteers have joined the Volunteers pool managed by Malta Health Network on behalf of the Covid-19 Response team within Public Health. Our volunteers which exceeded 500 people have given over 25,000 hours of volunteering to the health services in Malta in 2020. The jobs were many.

The work done has been also appreciated by the Hon. Robert Abela, Prime Minister and the Hon Chris Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for health during a visit they had at Public Health early in June 2020. They were very thankful for all the contributions given and showed an interest that this collaboration between volunteers through Malta Health Network and Public health is strengthened. Prof Charmaine Gauci, Superintendent of Public Health explained how every task, no matter how big and small it seemed was very important to support all the efforts being done for the best of the nation.

Duties carried out by Volunteers include data inputting, contract tracing, patient-follow-ups, ensuring safety of working environment through temperature monitoring at entrance and phoning people to come to the swabbing centres just to mention a few duties carried out. Others have helped with running errands for vulnerable groups, taking dogs for walks for people who had to observe quarantines and various non-Maltese persons have helped in doing translations so that all people in Malta could be reached. Many people have been consistently contributing whilst others had to stop due to various reasons.

The call for volunteers is always open. Thanks to VolServ we are recruiting people through a new Covid-19 Volunteers registration link. The call is open to all interested so we invite you to share it with anyone whom you think might be interested in helping out.

As a special thanks to all we hope you enjoy this message.

Voluntary Organisation Award

December 2020

The Malta Health Network was honoured to be nominated for the Voluntary Organisation Award 2020. Unfortunately we were not the winners, but have the work of MHN recognised for the past 13years of contributing to the Maltese society was an honour in itself.

We would like to thank the proposers of our nomination and we look forward to keep service the Maltese Society.

MHN Annual General Meeting

28.02.2020

Gertrude Buttigieg, Chairperson presided over the Annual General Meeting held on 28th February. Thanks to all who have supported MHN during the past year and all member organisations who attended for AGM. Full report available below. Financial report for MHN also approved together with Policies Document which is also found below.

Thanks to all those who participated.

MHN Annual Report 2019

MHN Policies Document approved February 2020

Conclusion of Patient Empowerment/Policy Training Seminars

January-February 2020

The Seminar will include an overview of the process involved in the drafting and approval of a Law in Malta and when and how civil society can intervene in the process. A look at Patients’ rights in Malta will also be discussed.

This is the last of 4 training seminars which are looking at on how Patient organisations can have more influence on the development of Health related policies in Malta and on a European level. The voice of organisations is very important in the process currently undertaken by local authorities in formulating the Health Strategy 2030.

In view of this need for Health Organisations to have a more organised and robust voice MHN is offering this training for free to it’s members and all interested organisations so that entities will be in a better position to liaise, with local authorities and contribute actively to the process in a timely manner.