A course in Maltese has been launched through which will see the teaching of basic Maltese for professionals and foreign workers in St Vincent de Paul. This was announced during a news conference by the Minister for Health and Active Aging Jo Etienne Abela and the Parliamentary Secretary for Active Aging Malcolm Paul Agius Galea.
This course will include basic learning in Maltese that will help workers communicate better with patients, including learning about basic medical terminology, learning in Maltese how to understand symptoms to patients, among other learning. There are currently 60 workers taking this course.
Minister Jo Etienne Abela stressed the importance of communication in the medical service between patients and those who treat them. “Thanks to this training, we will see an improvement in the service offered and in the quality of care for the elderly. We want to make sure that the Maltese and Gozitan elderly who do not have the knowledge of the English language feel comfortable when they receive care and make use of the services offered,” Minister Abela concluded.
The Parliamentary Secretary Malcolm Paul Agius Galea said that, “Communication with the patient is crucial when they are getting a care service and that’s why it was important to see that the workers in this sector have a language base Maltese. Through this training we are ensuring that we have a service that offers safety both for patients and their families, but above all for our elderly.”
