Because most mothers-to-be think that it’s more convenient to them (thereby ignoring the fact that a CS has its own risks)…and because of the decreased risk that a CS poses to (most) complicated deliveries when compared to the older methods (eg forceps, ventouse etc).

It’s actually less than 10 euros an hour.

Some consultants are on call every day, some consultants are on call every other day, some are on call every week…there’s no general rule.

1a) Nobody serves two masters – there are many doctors who have never paid MAM membership, but the same applies to MAM members.

1b) The opposite is true

1c) A doctor does not ‘prepare’ his appointments…that’s up to the pharmacy or private hospital where he/she works privately.

1d) Don’t overgeneralise – there are day cases, and there are cases which require patients to stay for more than a day. Day causes are admitted in the morning in the DCU (Day Care Unit), and discharged in the evening. This was the case when MDH started to operate – nowadays part of DCU is been used as a normal ward (as opposed to a Day Care Ward) – this is due to the shortage of acute beds in MDH.

3) Why don’t you mention the numerous instances in which on-call consultants have to come to hospital at 1am? And being paid at less than 10 EUR per hour to do so?

I can think of more such tactics.

@ Dr K Cortis: one cannot serve two masters and be considered a professional. How can a worker with a woodwork factory tell a client that he can deliver the desired furniture in a few weeks time instead of waiting for his factory to deliver in a year’s time because of a tall order list?

As a worker you can understand that the employer will be furious when he gets to know that his employee is poaching the clients who go to his showroom to buy his product.
I purposely made a sweeping statement. I know that doctors earn less. Juniour doctors and doctors are just pawns in this game.

My command of the English language seems to have become your pet subject. I know that my English is far from perfect…but shouldn’t you try to find an answer to my comments instead of wasting time and cyberspace highlighting my personal shortcomings?

Do not overgeneralise. Most of the doctors aren’t consultants, but junior doctors or doctors in training. And these do not have astronomical salaries. I cannot figure out how and why being part of a union doesn’t make you professional.

On a final note – even doctors have the right to be sarcastic.

The quote is probably the only valid thing which John Schembri has written and it is the reason behind Frank Portelli’s argument that full-time consultants at Mater Dei should spend their full time at Mater Dei as civil servants with an obligation toward the nation.

I must admit that one aspect of Frank Portelli’s crusade does trouble me. I have never officially heard how many of the consultants, who have a contract with government, also work at St. Philip’s and if so, when they are present at St. Philip’s.

Within a framework of public-private joint venture in health care, one must consider the scenario where/when a doctor has possibly simultaneous emergencies in the private sphere as well as in the public domain. What does the doctor do under the given circumstances? Which loyalty would have priority?

@ John Schembri

Professionals with exorbitant salaries are workers, i.e. they work for their remuneration. Are soccer players and soccer trainers workers? Are actors workers? Are artists workers? Would you tell Elton John and/or Robbie Williams that they do not work for their royalties?

The astronomical salaries mentioned here were mentioned by one person only and, I assure you, there’s nothing astronomical about the salaries doctors in government practice are receiving now. If salaries were astronomical, doctors would be tripping over each other to get themselves employed within our health system. They’re not doing this, so you can rest assured that the astronomical pay-cheques are happening elsewhere, not here – which is, incidentally, why we’re always hearing about a brain-drain rather than a brain-gain.

I cannot see why the status of a professional and membership in a union should be so mutually exclusive in your mind. Professionals can and do have their own unions. Professionals are workers too, who have their own rights which must be defended.

Lino Cert, I personally win the impression that K Cortis is kindly showing you how silly your good self can be. My professional experience over many years was similar to what K Cortis has written here.