300 nurses apply to work in public sector
A total 300 applications have been received from nurses to work in the public sector, Health Minister Joseph Cassar said today.
He said in a statement that 50 were Maltese and they included those who had just completed their studies and others who applied to be registered yesterday.
On Monday these nurses will be called to embark on their duties shortly.
The other 250 applications were from foreign nurses. Half of them had already gone through the first phase of the selection process and were currently going through more detailed scrutiny. 46 of them, Pakistani, would be able to become staff nurses in the middle of next month.
The minister said that it was still waiting for the results of a call for international recruiting companies to identify more foreign nurses who wished to work in Malta.
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Paul Borg
Aug 22nd 2010, 14:06
Hope that these won't end up doing non-nursing related duties as many nurses are doing at Mater Dei.
Judith Thomas
Aug 22nd 2010, 12:02
Why is everyone missing the wood for the trees? What is important are these points:
How thouroughly have the qualifications of the foreign nurses been vetted? (Remember the doctors employed in the eighties)
It's immaterial whether Malta has paid for the education of her people or not - there ARE some people who cannot speak another language, bar Maltese. Frankly, why should they (do the majority of English people speak a second language?). Having a Maltese nurse act as interpreter would contradict the employment of foreign personnel;
The third point is irrelevant at this point in time when we are in such dire need of nursing staff - why were applicants not accepted for the course sojme time ago? I take it that by now, these would have qualified.
Louis Galea
Aug 22nd 2010, 11:06
or i'm stupid or i don't know what is happening. why can't the goverment try to attract maltese people and leave the foreign people as the last option. try to attract them like salaries, time flexibility or more part time workers (house wives would like this!) but first should come the maltese i think
Karl Consiglio
Aug 22nd 2010, 01:47
Micheal Zerafa,
According to our constitution, both Maltese AND English are the official languages of Malta.
Robert Agius
Aug 22nd 2010, 10:54
It can also be modified. Actually, many parts of it should.
John Sammut
Aug 21st 2010, 09:04
Can we know if it is true that the Government is considering training illegal immigrants to help at the hospital?
Josephine Callus
Aug 21st 2010, 08:54
Joe Vella nurses who graduated at that time will be nearing their working life so it is your PN governments incompetence for not making sure that we have enough nurses and other medical staff especially when they were building the new hospital or as it has been aptly called Mater Dejn. This is apart from the other gross incompetence of building the Mater Dejn hospital with less beds than we had at St Lukes when the population had grown much bigger than when ST Lukes was built. That is the crass incompetence of all PN administrations which I would strongly suggest to be registered as a trade mark.
A Tagliaferro
Aug 21st 2010, 14:13
it seems you're either in the moon or haven't been living on this island since some three years !!! get the MDH beds and add them to the beds at the Rehab Hospital (which is housed in Karin Grech - ex Zammit Clapp) and you will get the same number which were supposed to be available at SLH - supposed because even there it was over ful with patients who are litteraly dumped by relatives - yes, sons and daughters and siblings etc etc - who are too busy working and overworking and don't want to bear the 'hassle' of looking after their elderly . This is the reality, and no party in power can solve this cultural trend that we are facing.....coupled with the higher standard of living and so an increase in older age people living longer ........wake up and don't see all in the political colours which seem to blind you.
Kristian Zammit
Aug 20th 2010, 23:17
Being a physician and having worked with several foreign nurses myself, especially eastern europeans, I can vouch that the majority are well trained, highly professional, polite, motivated and good team workers. Just like our fellow Maltese nurses they are excellent people providing an invaluable service and we should be grateful to them. Many of them also manage to learn a few essential maltese words to help their communucation with non english-speaking patients. I should suppose that if pakistani health care providers will be good for us just as they have been good enough for UK hospitals.
R. Mallia
Aug 20th 2010, 22:42
Scandalous!!! Obviously with the ridculous wages in Malta (when compared to Western European countries) we can only attract workers from countries where the situation is worse (Romania and Pakistan are two examples). As to the language, yes, at least a basic knowledge of Maltese should be a requirment. From my experience in other EU countries, it is very difficult to land a job unless you speak the local language. English is an official language in Malta but it is only an artificially so. What will one of these nurses do when confronted with a 90 year old patient who speaks just Maltese? I'm sure everybody has one time or another met a person who doesn't speak English. Malta is not truly bilingual and this fact has led Maltese to be recognised as an official language in the EU. The earlier we understand this, the better!
A Tagliaferro
Aug 20th 2010, 21:40
....and what about 1500 + applying for management courses......? we are soon becoming a managerial/white office working force and the caring professions lost...that's why we would need 'foreigners'.....and by the why, what about Maltese who go abroad for work....????? should they be sent back or treated as some bloggers below suggest we treat 'foreigners'..................
A Tagliaferro
Aug 20th 2010, 21:31
I want to see many of these fellow maltese who are prepared to sacrifice their pride and go working in a hospital environment themselves.....you can't just say I don't want foreigners.......the caring professions are such that non caring egoistic persons are not even suitable to sit near these professionals.......the reality today is that people want jobs and cash without a lot of sacrifice......that's why we still have 500 + applicants for the law course at university...as if we lack lawyers !
MBorg
Aug 20th 2010, 20:42
Does the Health Minister know that female Muslim doctors and nurses in the UK refuse to expose their arms for hand washing and " scrubbing in" procedures before surgery ?
Does he know that female nurses have to be provided with disposable sleeves in order to comply with NHS rules to prevent the spread of hospital superbugs ? Are we going to have the same situation in our hospitals ?
J. J. Borg
Aug 20th 2010, 20:00
My, my. All this huffing and puffing by the usual suspects because they might end up being cared for by qualified nurses from (gasp!) non-European countries. Trust me, when you're lying in a hospital bed you in need of medical treatment, the last thing on your mind will be the ethnicity or skin colour of the person trying to heal you.
Carmen Serracino Inglott
Aug 20th 2010, 19:56
First we got nurses from the ex Czechoslovakia and Hungery but now they are earning more than what the Government is offering, therefore, we have to make do with nurses who come from countries where wages in Malta are inviting. Will these nurses be up to local standard especially that the Pakistani nurses are going to be appointed as Staff Nurses. Is it possible that no Maltese graduates or with enough nursing experience in can apply for Staff Nurses? We always have to make do with what's left. This shows how low our wages have remained compared to countries which joined the EU with us.
R. Aquilina
Aug 20th 2010, 19:56
Can the Health Ministry or the Minister's Segretariat indicate whether foreign nationals will be subject to a temporary contract. Will foreign nurses' contract be terminated whenever Maltese nurses are available ? Do our youth have a future or will mis-management of this issue prevail?
monica muscat
Aug 20th 2010, 19:55
I back Mr. A. Borg's question. Are these nurses Pakistani trained?
I am not racist. If a prefessional knows his job, he/she are welcome. Language, of course, could be a problem. So pairing with Maltese personnel should be adopted, until, and ASAP the new staff will pick up our language. I think the Hon. Cassar has taken a wise decision.
But still, the question lingers! ? Are these imported nurses more qualified than those refused Maltese applicants would have resulted? It is well know, all over Europe, and beyond, that our students, from whatever profession, are HEADS ABOVE any foreign students. So how is it that soo many applicants were refused? Are their 2 weights and 2 measures being applied? Perhaps it is not the pay-pack and difficult working conditions the real problem behind the crises!
I would like to pose a question or two. Will these imported nurses be paid the same as locals? Will their work conditions run on the same lines? Will the pay be more? Or Less?
Some questions need answering at least for truth's sake.
Robert Vagner
Aug 20th 2010, 19:55
One may understand the preoccupation with non Maltese in nursing and rightly so, however as Malta has progressed, so has the education too. As an ex employer in Malta, I had countless interviews with Maltese and I can tell you that many, way too many did not educate themselves to work neither as nurses, neither as maids or waiters. Many don't want to work evening or night shifts, weekend or on public or religious holidays. Paceville and some other places of entertainment are just too much not to join for many, whilst the real values of responsibility due to the over spending society pushed by the ever growing market supported by media, where ever you look has completely changed the outlook on life. I am sure many will not agree, however many will if they just stay silent for a while and think of what Malta has become. I came to Malta first time in 1993 and the friendliness and courtesy of the Maltese is just not the same as in those days. On the end if I need help, I don't care who is going to provide it as long as served.
M. Aloisio
Aug 20th 2010, 20:48
I couldn't agree more. We are a modern European country (more or less) these days with all the positives and negatives which that brings. Other European and developed countries also have a shortage of nursing personnel and the problem is compounded where there is an ageing population. We also have come to expect free health care but are less willing to pay more taxes to fund it, which includes paying wages that are sufficiently high to recruit and retain medical staff. I don't have a problem being treated by foreign nurses (it's not like we have not had them before - and physicians too), but it's symptomatic of some pretty serious challenges that our society has to confront.
G. Vassallo
Aug 20th 2010, 19:51
The only way to get rid of them off is to talk to them in Maltese and then they'll get Maltese nurses!!! Then maybe they'll move out. If everyone in Malta does that it will work out just fine. I am not happy about this situation as our own government is throwing his own people out to employ the foreigners. It really hurts to see this!!!!!!
J. J. Borg
Aug 20th 2010, 20:36
When you're lying in a hospital bed in need of medical treatment, the last thing on your mind will be the nationality the person wanting to make you feel better. And let's not start with the usual nonsense about these nurses taking Maltese jobs,
Sergio Vassallo
Aug 20th 2010, 21:02
G. Vassallo totally agree with you. This is disgusting and disgraceful. How about a drive for ex-nurses who have now raised their children to rejoin and those whose children are still you can join part time and possibly have child-care facilities?
Joe Bugeja
Aug 21st 2010, 08:24
G. Vassallo you are right. We have a right to talk to them in Maltese since they come to work in Malta and our National language is Maltese.
Charles Sammut
Aug 20th 2010, 19:33
Norway suspended the authorisation of doctors from Pakistan in May 2010. Why can't we learn from others' mistakes? But I suppose there's money to be made by those who will not end up in Mater Dei if they need medical treatment.
Joseph Camenzuli
Aug 21st 2010, 08:26
Charles Sammut Remeber the German doctor who killed his patient some time ago in England with a massive 10 times overdose of diamorphine?
Charles Sammut
Aug 20th 2010, 19:26
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/14/2953777.htm Even politicians fake their degrees in Pakistan, never mind nurses. This is the attitude in Pakistan: "''A degree is a degree! Whether fake or genuine, it's a degree! It makes no difference!'' Baluchistan province chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, who claims a master's in political science, shouted at a gaggle of reporters Tuesday." http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/35-fake-degree-scandal-roils-pakistani-politics-ak-03 Shame on Minister Joseph Cassar and whoever is already counting the money he will be making from bringing over foreign workers.
C Schembri
Aug 20th 2010, 19:09
To all who wrote here without knowing any facts about the work market in 2010. GO IN A HOSPITAL IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY AND YOU WILL NOTICE THAT A LOT OF FORGEIN NURSES WORK THERE. Please wake up. PS: I would suggest to the government to do what he did already when he employed a lot of Romanian nurses. Look for countries where wages are lower than Malta and try to employ nurses from there. They will come here and I am sure about what I am saying: they are qualified and VERY PROFESSIONAL. They will not refuse to work on weekends or go at work only for money (ask this to restaurant, bar, and hotel owners who employ forgeiners).
Salvu Sciberras
Aug 20th 2010, 21:07
C Schembri shame on you for denigrating Maltese workers. How about the German Doctor who in England killed a man bu giving him 10 times the dose of diamorphine? And it was not his first case. This is by a German doctor let alone by nurses who come from third world countries.
Evelyn Cassar
Aug 20th 2010, 21:14
C Schembri we do not care what happens in other hospitals. We want Maltese nurses as we have a right to. How many patients have been sent to their creator in foreign hospitals because of foreign nurses and other staff?
Tommy Cassar
Aug 21st 2010, 08:28
C Schembri we do not care what hapġpens in other countries but what happens in our country This is all the fault of Gonzipn and his henchmen as they had been warned time and time again about this situation.
Paul Saliba
Aug 21st 2010, 08:34
C Schembri you should be ashamed and I find your suggestion disgusting for getting cheap labour.
albert leone ganado
Aug 20th 2010, 19:06
Sometimes I wonder what people want . It seems what they are after is just the delight to complain. Yes you have every right to question why there was no forward planning five years ago and why at that time the University imposed a numerus clausus. It might be than now we have a more active and understanding minister who does make an effort to find solutions and fix problems or a University willing to accept more student nurses. It seems that the problem of shortage of nurses is being tackled. Next problem please namely the overcrowding of wards with elderly patients with nowhere to go. Once the minister finds a solution I promise I will be the first to heartily congratulate him and I hope the army of moaners will forget their whining and negative attitudes so that we can move to a further problem of which unfortunately there are still many. This is the way efficient societies independently of who is in Government operate.
Joe Zammit
Aug 20th 2010, 21:12
albert leone ganado the matter of old people having nowhere to go can be easily solved by refurbishing St Lukes as an old peoples home and for long-term hospital patients as was suggested by other commentators. As regards Nurses why not have two concurrent courses to utilize both University and Hospital training more than they presently are.
Paul Camilleri
Aug 21st 2010, 08:30
albert leone ganado the problem should never have arisen because the government had been warned many times by different organizations what was going to happen but Gonzi's andhis ministers arrogance knows no limits.
Gordon Farrugia
Aug 20th 2010, 18:47
Nurses are not aeroplanes or pilots! These nurses aren't coming here to teach us Maltese how to do our job. This is not the solution to our health problems - we need more Maltese nurses not foreigners. As for getting them from Pakistan, doesn't that amount a bit to legalised human resource stealing - instead of giving them help for their flooding we are taking away from them one of the basic resources they badly need at the moment: nurses.
Robert Agius
Aug 20th 2010, 18:45
And for any smart person to say something foolish such as - oh! but you are writing in English. Just take a look at the level of English at our universities to see how bad the level of English is in this country. Apart from that, should i decide to speak only Maltese, don't I have the right to? here in MALTA?
Robert Agius
Aug 20th 2010, 18:40
I understand that that would be too harsh but yes. Learning Maltese should be compulsory and part of the deal. Those who think otherwise have no idea of how things works in across the EU. Take Scandinavians for starters. A good 90% speak English but try lend yourself a job without speaking their language. Yes! the same should apply also for EU citizens. I find it pretty pretty shameful that only 50 are Maltese and this is a CLEAR SIGN OF BAD MANAGEMENT, from various sectors. How about starting with making different qualifications/ diplomas for different job within nursing? Promoting careers for sector in need at schools etc. As usual here in Malta - never look long term put only try to solve problems once they happen. Once again, SHAME, SHAME and SHAME.
James Graham
Aug 21st 2010, 07:42
Not commenting on the nurses issue, but do you realise just how difficult is to find tuition in Malti?
I've been trying for nearly 5 years to find a teacher (I travel abroad a lot, so cannot attend night school) - if anyone reading this article has recommendations, I would truly appreciate some suggestions.
lgalea
Aug 21st 2010, 08:36
Robert Agius can you expect anything else from a party who was and always is a foreigners lackey?
Robert Agius
Aug 21st 2010, 10:34
James, even that sector is neglected. And yet again, shame shame and shame.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Aug 20th 2010, 18:29
Whilst seeing no real problem with regards to Pakistani nurses, if it is true that Maltese were not allowed to attend nursing courses, then someone needs to start answering questions..!
Of course no one will...
Bernard J Schranz
Aug 20th 2010, 19:07
Have you considered that possibly the ones that applied did not have the required qualifications or were not up to scratch? What's the point in the state training such people who would simply take on nursing job cos they have no suitability for another profession and then make mockery out of the nursing job cos they would not be happy or lousy nurses, reflecting in bad service? It is about time that we did things in a professional manner particularly when the health service is costing the taxpayer an arm and a leg, excuse the pun. I think that all considered, you will agree with me. Think well.
Peter Spiteri
Aug 20th 2010, 21:19
Bernard J Schranz they can't be as bad as without nurses. This apart, why were students who were qualified not allowed to start their course as had been stated on the media?
Jeremy J Camilleri
Aug 21st 2010, 12:52
Bernard SHranz...I ask a question, and you ask me another....If you know the answer, why ask a question? if not, then you shouldn't really be asking me since Im directing the questions at those who know the answers...
clifton gatt
Aug 20th 2010, 18:12
If one goes for treatment in the uk,it makes sense that one has to speak the english language as u r in the uk, but in Malta i expect that i speak the maltese language,besides all this it is coming quite a habit that we do not speak maltese even in restaurants as the waiters are not locals. What about the old people or who does not speak english? Will they have a translator like in the eu parilament? I WROTE IN ENGLISH AS THIS IS AN ENGLISH PAPER.
Joe Vella
Aug 20th 2010, 18:34
@ Clifton GAtt Both Maltese and English are The Official Languages of Malta. I am sure that a Maltese speaking nurse will be assigned to those patients that doesn't speak English. In recent times there were Medical staff roaming our Hospitals corridors that neither spoke Maltese nor English.
Bernard J Schranz
Aug 20th 2010, 19:02
With all due respect, English is our National Language together with Maltese and as such there should be no problem with speaking the language and understanding it. The state provides FREE education to all so that one is equipped to learn the language including yourself as a Maltese citizen I take it. Meanwhile if there is a problem recruiting nurses locally it is acceptable for the government to explore foreign resources. In fact this is a duty of the government to ensure that the health service continues to operate. So the government is making everything possible for you to receive both FREE education as well as Free health service. If you have any problem with any of these, maybe you might wish to consider studying abroad or else going for treatment abroad out of your own pocket. Not everything is perfect in this country but before commenting you must consider everything and also see things with a clear lens. The older people will no doubt prefer not have an incompetent Maltese person who could place their lives at risk or to have a non Maltese speaking nurse than nothing at all.
wally vella-zarb
Aug 20th 2010, 20:07
@ Mr Shranz
You are totally wrong mister! The NATIONAL language of the Republic of Malta is Maltese, and nothing else.. English is only an 'official' language and even in our legal system, whenever there is a discrepancy or a doubt as to interpretation, it is the Maltese version that is taken as the correct one.
In any case, just listen to some of the lecturers at the university - not to mention many of the contributors to these comments - and you should get a good idea of what level of English is attained in this country!
Martin Debono
Aug 20th 2010, 20:54
When in hospital, would you rather
(1) receive quick attention but have to speak to a nurse through a translator or in English?
(2) wait and wait `to receive treatment because there are too few nurses since hospital will only employ ones who speak Maltese?
I know which option I would prefer.
Joe Gauci
Aug 20th 2010, 21:21
clifton gatt when I go to a restaurant I always speak Maltese and if they don't understand I leave. If everyone did that the management will soon learn to employ Maltese workers and not foreign cheap labour.
Tony Gatt
Aug 20th 2010, 21:23
Joe Vella our NATIONAL language is MALTESE NOT English and we have a right to speak MALTESE.
Paul Farrugia
Aug 21st 2010, 08:40
Joe Vella We do not care what the official languages are. Our NATIONAL language and MY language is Maltese so I have a right to used to use MY and MY National language in MY own country.
Steve Delia
Aug 21st 2010, 08:44
Bernard J Schranz YOU ARE WRONG SCHRANZ. OUR NATIONAL LANGUAGE IS MALTESE NOT ENGLISH. ENGLISH IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND A REMNANT OF COLONIALISM. I HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK AND BE SERVED BY SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS MY NATIONAL LANGUAGE IN MY COUNTRY.
clive borg
Aug 20th 2010, 18:05
Well done when 250 are foreign and only 50 malteses.... you are crazy to tell well done ,when few months ago there were hundreds of maltese who applied to start nursing and only 140 were accepted! you can check this link if you wish, to continuee saying well done : http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100725/local/university-accepts-only-140-applications-for-nursing-course-mumn its crazy knowing that maltese wanted to become nurses and were refused and we are accepting foreign nurses, and thene pakistani ( do these come from an EU country) .... WOWWW ONLY IN MALTA .... you should be proud to be the Minister of public health sector!
victor Vella
Aug 20th 2010, 18:04
Five years ago, the prime minister said that we had enough nurses and discouraged students, my son included, from applying for the course by removing even part of the stipend? Now, Dr. Gonzi is bringing over Pakistani Nurses. When a patient is in such a delicate moment, and needs to communicate his pains, he will find Pakistani Nurses. Well done.
Gerard Cassar
Aug 20th 2010, 18:04
Shame for having set a numerus clausus or what you call it in the university jargon, Latin? And now the Health ministry is to engage foreigners, who are non Catholic probably, when there were many Maltese who would have opted for a nursing course that was not available except to a few. It's the P.N. characteristics. Come next election later or earlier and remember to give them the " bon servita" as we say. Kick them out.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Aug 20th 2010, 18:28
What has Religion got to do with this? Im Maltese and non Catholic..Should my work permit be revoked? Stupidity really has no limits!
Joe Vella
Aug 20th 2010, 18:41
@ Gerard Cassar Perhaps if during the mid '70's to the mid '80's enough nurses graduates we wouldn't be in this situation. We all know that during those years the University existed in name only. The present situation not only applies to nurses but to other disciplines as well. The very first thing the PN Government of EFA was to encourage professional expatriates to come to Malta. This was done with the assistance of a program run by the UN,
martin saliba
Aug 20th 2010, 18:58
@ Joe vella. You are twisting the truth. Whether numerous clausus was good or not is debatable. The aim of it was an attemp to have the profesionals that malta needed or was going to need at the time. What was the use of having 1000 doctors and no nurses or the other way round. The truth is that we were supposed to have a state of the art hospital , which in my honest opinio we do , but we do not have the money and personell to run it. it would be nice to own a private jet but what's the use if you cannot afford to run it ?
Gerard Cassar
Aug 20th 2010, 19:48
Mr Joe Vella. The P.N. Have been in government for over 20 years. They have had enough time to employ enough nurses to run more than one hospital. In the years you mentioned there were no lack of nurses. We even had a school purposely for nurses and it was always full up. No numerous clausus. As for being Catholic it should be christians Catholics are no better nurses than anglicans. To clear the air. Some people are too touchy.
lgalea
Aug 20th 2010, 21:29
Joe Vella If nurses graduated in the 70's and mid-80's they will now be approaching retirement. The lack of nurses shows crass incompetence of all PN administrations.
T Camilleri
Aug 21st 2010, 08:18
Joe Vella in the period you mentioned we never had any shortage of nurses.
Steve Delia
Aug 21st 2010, 08:46
Joe Vella there was never a shortage of nurses during Labour governments. Besides, your pn has been in government for more than 20 years so it is pn governments incompetence that is causign us to have this shortage.
Tony Bartolo
Aug 21st 2010, 08:48
Joe Vella professionals who had left Malta under instigation by the pn led by EFA to deny essential health services to the Maltese people.
Robert Henry Bugeja
Aug 21st 2010, 10:05
@ Joe Vella 'the intellectual'.
where were you living for the past 22 years? Do you know who was in government? And if you do know why are you pointing your finger at the Labour Government of the 70's?!!!!
In 22 years your dear party should have eridicated all problems and not create bigger ones!
The PN is out of time, out of touch and very soon...OUT OF OFFICE!
vince cachia
Aug 20th 2010, 18:02
@R Abela and R Borg!! Well done! Well done thank you dr.cassar!! 50Maltese, 46 Pakistani and the other 200 mill-Ethiopia???
Joe Vella
Aug 20th 2010, 18:20
Frankly, I do not give a damn where they come from as long as they are qualified; and can speak one of the Official languages of Malta. Perhaps it comes as a surprise some of the ignorants out there that complain about every little thing that English is one of the official languages of Malta. So, if you are in need of treatment, and one of these English speaking nurses comes to provide her/his service, you have one of two choices: 1) Accept her help, or 2) go found a foreign nurse/doctor that doesn't speak English at all. For many of you that was accepted in the late '70's and early '80's
Jane Galea
Aug 20th 2010, 21:31
Joe Vella Maltese is our National language not English and I have every right to speak MY language which is Maltese and not a foreign one.
George Cassar
Aug 20th 2010, 21:34
Joe Vella when we had foreign doctors we had plenty of Maltese nurses who accompanied them and if anyone had any difficulty they were very efficient in explaining the difficulty. Your reasoning means that you are criticizing the PL Governments of the time while condoning the same situation because presently there is your PN government.
Joe Bugeja
Aug 21st 2010, 08:23
Joe Vella you are trying to rewrite history. We never had any problems at that time because we had more than enough nurses who readily explained everything if the patient could not communicate with the doctors. Have you forgotten that the doctors strike was fomented by the PN to destabilize the health services because PL was in government? This is the hypocrisy of the PN that always tries to destabilize every PL government notwithstanding that the Maltese people will be the ones to suffer.
Paul Camilleri
Aug 21st 2010, 08:57
Joe Vella Perhaps the Mellieha heights made you look down on others but you shall soon be looking up to others not down.
Victor Dimech
Aug 20th 2010, 18:02
@D Chetcuti.and you quoted in english .
D Chetcuti
Aug 20th 2010, 19:16
So did you.
In case you haven't noticed this is a newspaper that is written and published in English.
Anthony Borg
Aug 20th 2010, 17:53
I do not know the breakdown of all the nationalities of the nurses that have applied, so I will comment on the 46 Pakistani nationals that have applied. Suggest the goverment checks their credentials / certificates well since in Pakistan one can buy any certificate you like including university degrees. The goverment should also be aware that people from that country tend to use one work permit to eventually bring in a husband / wife which would have been a conveniently arranged marraige, and eventually a whole family, Some may not even be family but somehow they do obtain the necessary paperwork. Solving one problen may create a bigger one in the future. How do I know? I lived in the UK for 37 years. I can assure you I know what I am talking about.
Bernard Storace
Aug 20th 2010, 18:14
Well said, Mr Borg I believe you have hit the nail on the head. I believe it is referred to as 'back-door immigration'
Stephen Forster
Aug 20th 2010, 19:33
And will they even touch the meal carts or trays with pork on the menu? I can buy a degree in Africa for 300 US, look at the doctor from Ghana working in Germany who took a locum job in UK who killed a patient with a wrong prescription......Backdoor immigration is a real threat.
Josephine Callus
Aug 20th 2010, 21:39
Anthony Borg you are perfectly correct Mr Borg. I receive hundreds of e-mails promoting all sorts of degrees, doctorates etc including information that you do not even need to study anything for the right fee. This is also as others have said that it is a back-door immigration to bring all their extended family including all their neighbors and their whole village claiming that they are their families. Government, don't open this back-door immigration. We have enough trouble already with the thousands of illegal immigrants and other immigrants who are continuing to deprive us of any space at all in our micro island apart from taking our jobs.
George Fenech
Aug 21st 2010, 08:59
Stephen Forster you can buy and degree, masters, doctorate. You name it you pay for it, you get it without even touching a text book.
Jeffrey Spiteri
Aug 21st 2010, 09:02
You are perfectly correct Mr Anthony Borg. Then they bring their whole village on the pretext that they are their extended family. What the government is doing is provide the means for a future revolution against all foreigners in Malta seeing that everyone is coming here and not leaving any breathing space for us. We are fed up and we want our space and country to remain ours.
A Borg
Aug 20th 2010, 17:48
What worries me is: do these pakistani nurses get their training and qualifications in Pakistan?
Oliver Gauci
Aug 21st 2010, 07:21
Do you seriously think that these Pakistani do not have much more hands on experience than the maltese nurses ? :)
C.Sammut
Aug 20th 2010, 17:48
Now let's see if the overcrowding problem will resolve itself .. !
Robert Abela
Aug 20th 2010, 17:28
Well done
Tony Zammit
Aug 20th 2010, 21:42
Thank you for what? For bringing Pakis? Thank you would have been in order only if we had Maltese nurses.
Dave Ciappara
Aug 21st 2010, 09:06
Robert Abela well done for employing foreign nurses because the government had abdicated its responsibility of ensuring an efficient fully-staffed health service and hospital? Its a GREAT SHAME not well done.
R.Borg
Aug 20th 2010, 17:25
Well done, Dr.Cassar,
and thank you.
D Chetcuti
Aug 20th 2010, 17:14
Maltese speaking nurses?. Other wise they may as well not come.
J.Agius
Aug 20th 2010, 17:45
Than complain Hospital short of nurses!!!Or perhaps you can apply!!
martin saliba
Aug 20th 2010, 17:48
Are you racist ? If not explain why. Would it make any difference if the foreign nurses were from pakistan or from the eu?
j mangion
Aug 20th 2010, 17:57
what do you do (god forbids) if you need special treatment in the uk?
Paul Barrett
Aug 20th 2010, 18:00
If the Nurse is competent and knew what he/she was doing then I would not care what language they spoke.
D Chetcuti
Aug 20th 2010, 18:41
Martin Saliba. I am as far away from being a racist as is possible to be. An intimate profession such as nursing has to look after all sorts of people including those whose only language is their mother tongue. It is often the case that mistakes are made when one is not able to explain problems vis a vis nurse to patient or patient to nurse. These people are handling near to death cases in some instances and it is not unknown for accidents to happen even when everyone speaks the same language let alone when there are three languages involved.
Bernard J Schranz
Aug 20th 2010, 19:16
Why not? Do you have a problem speaking English? The state has been providing FREE education to you since I don't know how long so you have no reason why you cannot speak the language. With your very reasoning, you would be putting the lives of people who have no problem with the language and/or service, in jeopardy simply because you would exclude to them the service that these foreign nurses could provide. Similarly with your reasoning, you would prefer to have inadequate and incompetent Maltese speaking people in the nursing service, same as happenned in the 70's and early 80's when such people were accepted only to shrink the unemployed numbers on the government's registers, with the consequence of a lousy and dangerous service.
Jeffrey Spiteri
Aug 20th 2010, 21:46
Similarly with your reasoning, you would prefer to have inadequate and incompetent Maltese speaking people in the nursing service, same as happenned in the 70's and early 80's when such people were accepted only to shrink the unemployed numbers on the government's registers, with the consequence of a lousy and dangerous service.
This is a nothing less than a lie. We did not have any shortage of nurses during PL administrations and when we had foreign doctors there were always Maltese nurses to explain everything if the patient had any difficulty to explain him/herself to the doctor. We are now far worse off after 22 years of PN governments.
Denis Attard
Aug 21st 2010, 08:26
Go and learn English lazybones!
We paid taxes to educate you and you wasted our time and money.
If not....EMIGRATE!
Michael Zerafa
Aug 21st 2010, 09:09
Bernard J Schranz English is a foreign language. Maltese is our language and we have a right to speak and be understood in our own language. People learn a lot of languages but never denigrate their own Schranz.