The Health Ministry said in a statement today that in the first six months of 2011, 21,548 operations were performed at Mater Dei Hospital, which, the Minstry said, is an increase of 4,400 over the same period in 2007.

The total was up by 927 on the same period last year, when the total was 20,621

Mater Dei Hospital carried out an average of 119 operations per week, which included Saturdays and Sundays, the statement said. To date the month of May recorded the highest number of operations with 3,762.

The statement continued saying that “several initiatives are being taken to increase the number of operations taking place and decrease the waiting lists.”

“More nurses and professional staff that work in the sector have been employed, as well as increasing theatre hours and with the arrangements now in place with two private clinics, the government will also be paying for cataracts operations,” the Ministry said.

The Minister for Health, Joseph Cassar, concluded by thanking the workers within the health sector for their contribution to the progress being made.

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