The establishment of a GU Clinic (Sexual health service) in Gozo has longed been called for in Gozo by LGBTI+ Gozo.

In a statement it said that this has been the case since 2015, “we as an organisation feel that both as an LGBTI rights advocate and a Gozitan NGO it is it’s our duty to voice our concern that this issue has been ignored and not taken seriously.”

The NGO stressed that the access to basic health care is a fundamental right and a barrier for that access is a hindrance and breach to that basic right. “Whilst we appreciate the work done by the Maltese GU Clinic service and also understood the lack of human resources in this department we cannot excuse the impact it is leaving on society at large.”

“We say society because LGBTI+ Gozo feels this issue is not a queer one, but rather a general sexual health one and it is for this reason that we have united several Gozitan and Maltese organisations to support this declaration,” the NGO added.

“Whilst we acknowledge the challenges COVID 19 presented on our health system, and how our health system, is serving the test of time, we also keep in mind that health is holistic, and there is no stopping of time on such,” it said.

It welcomed the recent investment in the GU Clinic in Malta, and the announcement provision of certain GU services in Gozo, through a new position within the GU Clinic in Malta which engage another GU Consultant at the GU Clinic in Malta, with responsibilities to have periodic visits in Gozo.

However, the NGO said that several questions are still unanswered regarding this service, such as the lack of detail regarding the frequency of the services that will be available, how testing will be handled, where it will be based and the procedure to be followed in case of emergency.

“This, together with the fact that the national sexual health strategy has been dormant for years, continues to assert that sexual health in Malta and Gozo is still not a priority,” it said.

The organisations endorsing the statement, together with LGBTI+ Gozo, urged the government to take concrete action on giving access to sexual health services in Gozo.

“It is of critical importance to have such a facility on the island of Gozo, these needs to be complemented with an awareness campaign for sexual health and sexual education within our peers,” the said.

They concluded by saying that, “we are making this declaration for one reason: to ensure that people in Gozo have direct access to sexual primary health care and to offer the best care equally offered on its sister island.”

The organisations endorsing the statement are: Aditus Foundation, Allied Rainbow Communities, Checkpoint Malta Drachma, Drachma Parents, Gozo Association for the Deaf, Gozo University Group, HIV Malta, Malta Gay Rights Movement, Moviment Graffitti, National Youth Council of Malta and The Scouts Association of Malta.

Permalink: Need for a GU Clinic in Gozo is not being taken seriously – NGOs