Editorial
Our Raison d’Être?
This issue of the Malta Medical Journal marks the third year
of publication of the Journal since the appointment of the
current Editorial Board. The Journal has undergone a number
of changes since then, including the introduction of an “In
Practice” section, an annual Clinical Update issue and
Pharmanews which provides information regarding
developments in the pharmaceutical field. The feedback from
our readership both locally and internationally has been positive
and encouraging to the Board.
In this issue we are pleased to have the opportunity to join
other international peer-reviewed Journals in publishing the
newly revised European Resuscitation Guidelines, officially
released on the 28th November of this year by the European
Resuscitation Council and summarised in this issue by
Dr MR Cassar and Dr D Tabone of the Malta Resuscitation
Council for the attention of healthcare professionals and for the
benefit of patient care in Malta. This is part of a global
endeavour to move towards the best possible quality and
standards in healthcare, bearing in mind the restrictions
imposed by cultural and developmental diversity. Guidelines
are important in ensuring optimal standardisation of medical
care but clinical judgement and governance remains an
essential, integral and irreplaceable aspect of medical care that
technological and IT advances can never match. Should
healthcare administrators, policy planners and managers ignore
this aspect of medical care, the consequences for patient care
could well be disastrous.
We strongly feel that this aspect of Continuing Professional
Development is part of the mandate of the Malta Medical
Journal, in addition to its role in publishing reviews, original
articles and data of particular interest to those practicing
medicine and dentistry in Malta. The Dean of the Faculty of
Medicine and Surgery, Professor G LaFerla, in his oration on
the occasion of the annual University of Malta Graduation
Ceremony, emphasises the role of University, Faculties and
students in promoting research and development in Malta
despite the hurdles that need to be overcome both
administratively and financially. This Journal is pleased to
Errata Corrige
Vol 17, Issue 03, October 2005. In the flow diagram
in page 38, the ratio of rescue breaths and chest
compressions in Paediatric BLS (i.e., the underlined ratio)
should read ‘5:1’ instead of ‘5:2’.
Malta Medical Journal
Volume 17 Issue 04 November 2005
reproduce the text of the oration in this issue.
The Faculties of Medicine and Surgery and of Dentistry have
established a reputation for sound undergraduate training, a
process that remains under audit and review to ensure
continuing improvement and maintenance of standards. It
remains disheartening to see so many of our promising
graduates leaving our shores at the first opportunity possibly
never to return again. The implications and consequences of
this brain drain are already being felt in a number of
departments and replacing departing and retiring medical and
paramedical staff is becoming extremely difficult, if not
impossible, given the appalling working conditions and
remuneration offered. Furthermore, as the burden and work
load of those remaining increases, patient care is bound to suffer,
no matter how motivated and caring these healthcare
professionals are. The Malta Medical Journal itself has lost one
of the members of the Editorial Board. Dr David Schembri
Wismayer recently moved back to the USA and on behalf of the
Chairman and members of the Editorial Board, I would like to
thank Dr Schembri Wismayer for his contribution to the Journal
over the last three years and to wish him every success in his
new position.
The humanitarian facet of dedicated healthcare
professionals and students is clear. We need to foster initiatives
in this field in both our under- and post graduates. In this issue,
the Malta Medical Students Association asks for donations of
books and teaching materials to help educate refugees. Our
students are willing to dedicate time and effort to the holistic
care of human beings. At the end of the day doctors are not
technicians who plug information in at one end, analyse data
and spew out management protocols at the other end. Patient
care demands far more than that! Were job satisfaction linked
solely to career advancement and financial gain, there would
be scant medical care left on these islands. The only reason we
still can boast of a humane healthcare service is the dedication
of our healthcare professionals to our patients. Their well being
is currently our only source of job satisfaction and we are
extremely concerned by certain developments that negatively
influence this. Should administrative inadequacies and system
errors lead to inadequate patient care and adverse events in
patient care, then that raison d’etre will disappear.
Josanne Vassallo
Editor
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