Vulnerable children receiving substandard care at Mount Carmel Hospital, Azzopardi claims
By Matthew Farrugia
Copyright maltatoday
University professor Andrew Azzopardi has called for an urgent investigation into the Young People’s Unit (YPU) at Mount Carmel Hospital, warning that vulnerable children may be receiving substandard mental health care.
In a formal complaint sent to the Commissioner for Children, Andrew Azzopardi said the state-run facility, which is meant to provide specialised psychiatric treatment for young people at risk of harming themselves or others, is failing to meet its mandate.
He said children’s rights to proper treatment “may be at risk” and urged authorities to act immediately.
Azzopardi questioned whether the YPU’s services meet the standards of a Tier 4 mental health unit, which should provide highly specialised inpatient care.
He alleged that treatment often focuses only on preventing harm rather than delivering comprehensive therapy and said staff had refused to work when faced with severe behavioural cases, leaving patients without assessments or care. He added that the facility lacks outdoor space and structured activities and described the environment as outdated and in need of urgent refurbishment.
The professor called for an independent review within a month, new clinical oversight, specialised staff training and the relocation of the YPU to a community-based setting.
He also criticised delays in tabling the Mental Health Commissioner’s annual reports for 2023 and 2024, arguing that transparency and parliamentary scrutiny are essential.
Azzopardi also condemned the alleged practice of placing children in adult wards during disputes between unions and authorities, calling it “unacceptable and possibly illegal.” He said Malta should consider creating a dedicated ministry for mental health, arguing that the current system is overstretched and failing to address what he described as a collapse in mental health services.
“The service must be of the highest quality,” he wrote. “For children, we cannot settle for mediocrity or the bare minimum — we must give them the best care possible.”
