Malta’s public healthcare increasingly dependent on foreign workers

Foreign nationals account for 600 directly employed nursing and midwifery staff across six public healthcare institutions, figures tabled in Parliament show, but the breakdown excludes workers supplied through private contractors.

The information was provided by Health Minister Ian Borg in response to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Graziella Galea, who requested staff numbers by institution, employment category and nationality.

Across the six institutions, foreign nationals make up almost 16% of the 3,755 directly employed nursing and midwifery staff listed. Their share varies considerably between facilities.

Mater Dei has the largest number, with 400 foreign nationals alongside 1,918 Maltese nursing and midwifery staff. Foreign employees therefore account for just over 17% of its directly employed workforce in that category.

Karin Grech has the highest proportion: 53 of its 129 directly employed nursing and midwifery staff are foreign nationals, equivalent to 41%.

Mount Carmel lists 60 foreign staff alongside 288 Maltese employees in the category, while St Vincent de Paul has 69 foreign and 382 Maltese staff. The Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre lists 16 foreign and 130 Maltese employees. Gozo General lists two foreign nationals alongside 361 Maltese staff.

These figures capture only part of the foreign workforce supporting public healthcare, as they exclude outsourced employees.

The foreign nursing workforce extends beyond those directly employed by the government.

In October 2022, parliamentary figures put the number of foreign nurses registered with Malta’s Council for Nurses and Midwives at 1,627, including 1,068 Indian nationals. That figure did not distinguish between direct government employees, contractor staff and nurses working in private healthcare.

Separate parliamentary figures demonstrate the scale of contractor staffing.

In the latest specific headcount located for carers at Mater Dei and the oncology centre, supplied in 2024, former Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela said 1,015 contractor-employed carers worked shifts across the two hospitals, alongside 237 directly employed public-service carers.