TG says Govt should relocate vaccine centre to minimise disruption to child healthcare

Together Gibraltar has called on the Gibraltar Government to relocate the Covid-19 from the Children’s Health Centre to ensure children’s healthcare services are not affected.

The premises are being used as the hub of the booster rollout and while most children’s services are still being delivered from the site, GBC reported last week that some appointments have been rescheduled or cancelled, including the six-in-one vaccine programme for babies.

TG questioned whether it made sense to cancel medical services for children when the vaccine could be administered in other locations.

The party noted that all around the world, pop up tents and other makeshift facilities had been set up to stay well away from healthcare centres in order not to “dishevel” these necessary institutions.

It said “messing with children’s healthcare” was no way to ‘restart or recover’ at the GHA, a reference to the planned overhaul of healthcare announced recently.

“On the contrary, it will only add to the backlog of very necessary services for children ranging from vaccines to dental appointments and other pressing services which have been postponed or cancelled, creating added health issues for children,” the party said.

TG leader Marlene Hassan Nahon added: “Why on earth do we have to derail children’s services in order to vaccinate our community?”

“Are we deliberately trying to cause another backlog of issues and problems? Is this the general modus operandi now?”

She bemoaned how Covid had been blamed for everything from “bad finances” to “incompetent healthcare management” and now disruption to some healthcare services for children.

“Stop using COVID as an excuse for incompetence and bad governance and create makeshift locations to distribute the Covid vaccine,” Ms Hassan Nahon said.

“The GHA seems to be riding on a wave of incompetence and illogical planning.”

“Our citizens and especially our children are the latest victims of this chaos and Together Gibraltar calls on Government to act responsibly and redeploy the Covid jab location while reinstating the children’s PCC immediately.”