I am glad to note that the letter by John Saunders about the lack of care homes for the elderly in Gozo (October 6) has finally touched an important chord with the ministry for Gozo. His three-line letter was so effective that the Ministry responded with a letter entitled Plethora Of Services For The Elderly In Gozo.

That letter, by Miriam Muscat, at best demonstrated a good sense of humour and at worst seemed like an insult to the intelligence of the Gozitans.

Its content was clearly irrelevant, thus qualifying it as ridiculous and meaningless for Ms Muscat did not answer Mr Saunders, who simply asked why in Gozo there are no care homes for the elderly like those in Malta. He did not ask about other services provided for them in Gozo.

One wonders whether the reply was intended to divert the public's attention from the real challenging issue regarding the urgent need for residential homes for the elderly in Gozo. The elderly in Malta have the litany of services mentioned in her letter. But they also have 15 care homes up to standard as required by the European Union rules and regulations.

Could she please identify one care home which could compare to any one in Malta? Do the male geriatric ward and the female Dar Sant'Anna at the Gozo General Hospital meet the standards and requirements of the European Union?

Let us call a spade a spade.