Oct 19 - Minister Costa Opens Public Health Conference

Written by YGTV Team on 19 October 2018.

The Minister for Health Neil Costa opened a Public Health Conference at the Caleta Hotel yesterday.

Here’s his opening speech:

"Distinguished visitors, delegates, Public Health colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.

I am delighted to have been asked to inaugurate this conference on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar and to extend a warm welcome to all of you, particularly, those of you who have travelled from far off distances to grace us with your participation.

I am informed that this is the 15th Conference of the Inter-Island Public Health Forum.

A Forum, which has itself been in existence for 25 years, its Silver Jubilee, and for this reason, of course, an especially heartfelt welcome to all of you.

Our esteemed Dr Vijay Kumar, who only retired last week as Director of Public Health, has advised me that this Forum was founded on a shared and important principle, which is:

that small, isolated communities often face problems that are rather different from those of large countries, yet are surprisingly similar to those of other small nations.  

Most of you represent such small nations, most of which are isolated as islands.

Although Gibraltar is not physically an island, for various historical and political reasons, our nation has functioned, and, in many ways, still functions, like an island.  

We are, therefore, very familiar with the problems facing small nations.

It may interest this distinguished gathering to learn that since I was appointed Health Minister, almost 2 years ago to the day, the Gibraltar Health Authority, along with my various first class teams,  commenced a sustained programme of deep reforms to our provision of healthcare, politely described as furious, in addressing the very issues that you yourselves will be intimately familiar as professionals in small jurisdictions.

I will only provide you with a flavour, by way of 3 examples:

• firstly, ensuring in 2016, wholesale and robust regulation of our doctors by the General Medical Council, which our very own Dr Vijay Kumar led and championed, with my Honourable predecessor Dr John Cortes, who is our Minister for Public Health;

• secondly, guaranteeing sustained bed availability in our 149-bed general hospital.  In 2 years, we have been able to increase daily average bed availability from 9 beds to 70 beds; and

• thirdly, repatriating many surgical and medical procedures, in order to lessen unnecessary reliance and dependence on our NHS partners and Spanish tertiary centres, including, Vascular Surgery, Renal Replacement (Hemofiltration), Keyhole Bariatric and Colorectal Surgery, Specialist Shoulder and Ankle Surgery, (including replacement of shoulders and ankles), Urology and Haematology.

In turning once again to your conference, I can see that you will enjoy a rich, varied and busy programme, with contributions from learned speakers from many lands and stretching over two and a half days.

We are especially privileged to have in Gibraltar Professor John Middleton, the President of the Faculty of Public Health, talking to us this morning about Planetary Health.

Tomorrow afternoon, the conference will, I have no doubt, look forward to hearing from Professor Martin McKee from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene to talk to us about Brexit.

I was also pleased to note the discussions on a wide range of other fascinating topics, as well as an active social programme that has been organised for you.  

Although your purpose here is clear, I sincerely hope you will take the time to sample the very many delights of Gibraltar, including some of our newest tourist attractions, such as the suspension bridge and the sky walk – neither of which are for the faint of heart.  

Through all of these events, I hope you will be able to take advantage not only of the learning experiences, but also of the opportunities to network and form new alliances that can help to promote the cause of public health in all our small nations.

I also hope that you will take back with you the academic excellence generated by your participation in this conference and pleasant and abiding memories of your visit as eminent guests of our city-state of which we are, justly, proud.

In any event, and without further ado, it is now my distinct privilege to declare the 15th Conference of the Inter-Island Public Health Forum, in the Silver Jubilee Year 2018, officially open.

Thank you very much for listening and enjoy."

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