Cancer claims denied

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 15th, 22:13

You believe whom you want to believe pitting the opinion of one individual from Marsaxlokk against the statistical proof in the hands of the Malta health authorities. That does not say much for your analytical skills but a great deal about your bias.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 15th, 22:19

@MichaelMagri
That unfortunate woman's experience actually happened but it cannot be blamed on the power station and not other more likely factors such as a strong familial predisposition to cancer and breathing carcinogenic motor vehicle and cigarette smoke passively if not also actively. Try logic instead of blatant political propaganda.

M Cachia

Jan 14th, 14:51

Briefly, an increase in the rate of cancer can be expected of a population in which life expectancy is dramatically increased. This is evident in every westernised country. A spike in a certain type of cancer in non-related individuals, this would be worrying. However, this is not the case. Increases in the rate of asthma is also unsurprising in considering Malta's population and climate.

Gorg Sciberras

Jan 14th, 08:49

There are other more important reasons for high rates of the diseases you mention than power station fumes. The big one is cigarette smoking, but also car exhaust fumes and alcohol. It is also well known globally that poorer areas tend to have higher rates of many of these diseases due to a multitude of factors. A cleaner power source could improve health, but not as drastically as many here think

C Sant

Jan 13th, 21:44

Dear Mr Agius, it seems that you are not able to read well! The rate of Asthma is the lowest in Marsaxlokk!

The cancer rate in Malta is the 8th lowest in the World, has been stable for the past 20 years, with over all lung cancer incidence on the decrease (A heavy decrease in Males - but unfortunately an increase in females) and this mainly due to a a change in smoking habits. ref: Online stats.

Joe Sammut

Jan 13th, 22:34

Well, the PL supported Sargas Plant running on coal.

It takes years to lay a gas pipeline,from finding the funds ,issuing of tenders ,laying of the undersea pipes , EIA reports and commissioning.

Placing two big bombs on the Delimara peninsula is a danger to our economy, the Freeport , flight path, and the same PS ,not to mention people and homes. Just look at what happened to Cyprus.

Joseph Borg

Jan 14th, 09:41

sur joe sammut

allura jekk ikollna l gas pipeline mhux ser jkollna tankijiet?
int bis serjeta tahseb li bil pipeline il gas ser jaddi dirett gol magni u jintuza mil ewwel?
u jekk jigrilu hsara l pipeline? ma jkollnix spare capacity go xi tank? u naghmlu xi 3 gimghat minghajr dawl!

prosit alik

Jane Clare

Jan 13th, 22:53

Air pollution in Sliema is caused by traffic and high rise on the waterfront that prevents sea breezes reaching the town centre. Air pollution in Sliema is a serious problem - but profits must come first...

G. Cassar

Jan 13th, 23:33

I guess the version which quotes the numbers (damn statistics) rather than parade a sad story that seems to be completely unrelated to the residence of this family.

Matthew Borg

Jan 13th, 20:18

read the article again Mr Attard. It Says 'asthma rates in Marsaxlokk are the lowest in Malta. (Men: 5.7% - national average: 6.8%; Women: 7% - national average: 8.1%).' Therefore as Marsaxlokk is the lowest than every other village is above the Marsaxlokk percentage.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 13th, 20:48

If the asthma incidence in Marsaxlokk is actually the lowest in Malta, it MUST also be inevitably below the national average. There is no deceit in the Health Ministry correctionof the LP blurb. There is only lack of comprehension on your part.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 14th, 11:51

L-onesta' anqas biss taf tispelliha, ahseb u are kemm tista' tippriedkha!

Joe Bonanno

Jan 14th, 18:34

@ Francis Saliba

Was that gratuitous comment really called for? The person simply misspelled a word. Most of us are human and we do make mistakes.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 14th, 22:28

@ Joe Bonello
J Grech Attard did much more than spelling wrong of one word. He wrote a senseless comment that falsely, accused others of deceit and distorting facts when, in reality, he was actually advertising his inability to understand a clear declaration by the health authorities.

G. Calleja

Jan 13th, 21:17

I must have messed up the above when deleting fragments to fit it in the character limit. I should have been referring to cancer when I said that perhaps the effects are yet to be seen, as that takes time to manifest itself. Asthma is usually much more immediate, so there must be another reason for the lower rates.
Also, as Mario Aquilina said, one should compare 'lung cancer', not general cancer.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 13th, 20:57

You are only begging the Hon Joseph Cassar himself, and everybody else, to please supply you with figures about the incidence of asthma and cancer in Marsaxlokk because you haven't got any yourself - and therefore you make insinuations disguised as questions.

Mario Aquilina

Jan 14th, 16:35

@Francis Saliba MD

I'm not making any "insinuations". I'm asking questions. I have no data but if the Ministry of Health is going to supply us with statistics it should provide the full picture. Unlike many here, I'm not affiliated with any political side and I'm always critical of the local political maneuvering. My questions are meant to allow people form an INFORMED opinion based on all data

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 14th, 22:42

@MarioAquilina
. It is immaterial whether you admit belonging to any political party or not. You are maligning the Hon Minister of Health by asking barbed questions imputing to him deceptive statistics. If you do not understand that, then you do not understand your own comment and its harmful implications.

Joe M Borg

Jan 13th, 19:22

LIKE :-) And Cyprus Joe wants us to believe that the lady speaking at his meeting was 'not staged'. And Anglu's musical chairs with Louis was 'not staged'.

Joe Bonanno

Jan 13th, 20:25

@Joe M Borg

Do you have evidence that it was staged?

Please respect the poor woman's present circumstances and keep your cheap innuendos to yourself. Most of us feel nothing but compassion for her.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 14th, 09:41

@JoeBonanno

All decent persons feel the utmost compassion for the lady and all in similar distress. But they are being generously and expensively supported by our government. It had to be the Labour Party that stooped so low as to make a public exhibition of her misfortune for cheap propaganda that implied falsely that Malta fared badly in tackling asthma and cancer. That is a confounded lie!

Joe Bonanno

Jan 14th, 13:47

@F Saliba

My comment was directed at Mr Borg's statement of staging. This infers collusion between the parties to manufacture an event. This is gutter politics of mud slinging, innuendoes and half-truths at its worst. Reminiscent of Rush Limbaugh mocking a man with Parkinson’s.

My original question still stands. Can Mr Borg, or any else for that matter, substantiate his vile allegation.

Joe Bonanno

Jan 14th, 14:13

To explain my previous comment, Rush Limbaugh is an American radio show host who is loved by right wing conservative elements in the US. He once alleged that Michael J Fox, who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and is a stem cell research proponent, was exaggerating his symptoms for political effect. Needless to say he (Limbaugh) was roundly denounced by the majority of Americans.

Joe Bonanno

Jan 14th, 15:03

@F Saliba

Mr Borg used the loaded word, “Staged.” This infers collusion between the parties to manufacture an event. This is gutter politics of mud slinging, innuendoes and half-truths at its worst. My original question still stands. Can Mr Borg substantiate his allegation.


Reminiscent of Rush Limbaugh mocking a man with Parkinson’s.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 14th, 16:47

@ Joe Bonanno
"Staging" means putting a presentation on a public stage - not "collusion". The appearance of that poor lady on a political platform implies co-operation not collusion. Words mean what they mean not what you want them to mean.

Joe Bonanno

Jan 14th, 18:01

@F Saliba

You can even have rockets staging. It all depends on the context it's used in. In this case the meaning was that it was a premeditated piece of flimflam to present something that wasn't genuine as true. For that you need collusion by the parties involved. Your poor attempt to perform verbal gymnastics to excuse the inexcusable is baffling. Is that what you truly believe Mr Borg Meant?

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 15th, 14:24

@JoeBonanno
I do not exclude that this was really a "premeditated piece of flim-flam" by the LP in which a weak, unfortunate patient with a strong history of cancer in her family was trapped into conniving to rubbish the government's intensive, expensive and successful efforts to contain the problems of cancers and lung infections, an effort that compares favourably with the rest of the world.

Joe Bonanno

Jan 15th, 17:42

@F Saliba

You might not exclude anything in your haste to apologize for the PN. But do you also have any proof that this was premeditated in any way? If you have no objection, why don’t you let Mr Borg speak for himself. He can reply to my comment and tell us exactly what he meant. Unless, that is, you feel that you are clairvoyant and already know his answer. Please stay on topic.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jan 15th, 22:33

@JoeBonanno.
If you have no pertinent reply to my comment you are at liberty to withdraw but not to prevent me from rebutting propaganda lies. I am not making haste to apologize for anything. I am clearly exposing the deception in your attempt to make propaganda in favour of the LP.

T Mifsud

Jan 13th, 19:08

Tidher li qatt ma studjajt logika ghax your statement cannot hold as the inverse of 'heavy fuel oil is the casue of asthma'. Mention 1 person who wants asthma. No one. Same goes for cancer. And the PN government is building an Oncology Center and a Research Center adjacent to Mater Dei. Remember that one day or other, Allahares qatt we might use it!

Chris Gatt

Jan 13th, 19:20

No Heavy fuel oil power stations come with industrial filters which prevent pollutants entering the atmosphere ( which cannot be said for all the cars on the road). Perhaps that is why Marsaxlokk residents have less asthma. A combination of cleaner air and very little traffic. Perhaps we should really now say yippee?

Joe M Borg

Jan 13th, 19:20

Read BEFORE you write, and you'll show SOME level of intelligence! In SPITE of the chimney, Mxlokk rates at 5.7 % in men, against national 6.8%,..... The figures for Mintoff's Marsa 'Black Alps" of coal are not known. But for you, if Mintoff built the Alps, it's OK. Grow up, at least a bit!

B. Storace

Jan 13th, 19:23

For 'alternative energy' please read PHOTOVOLTAIC...............................then crow mate!!!

Darren Frendo

Jan 13th, 18:49

Dear Michael learn how to read first .. The ministry says that asthma within marsaxlokk residents is among the lowest in malta.. Thawwadx please...

Joe M Borg

Jan 13th, 19:14

Michael, if you had READ the article BEFORE commenting, you would have shown 'some' sense of knowledge. The health ministry said: Mxlokk men 5.7%, national average 6.8%...... It's clear, black on white. Probably you were seeing red by Onetv overdose. Cyprus Joe was misleading, as usual. Nothing new! Misleading about Cyprus; Iceland; EU; Euro; VAT; 2013 budget; "Malta taghna lkoll"(???)

Joe M Borg

Jan 13th, 19:17

Pt 2. "Malta taghna lkoll". Misleading as usual! "taghna lkoll"....just ask those he is trying to rub off the electoral register. Or ask Anglu and mother. Or ask S Parnis, who, in 2008, said: "Diga' ghandna n-nies TAGHNA lesti biex jiehdu l-postijiet..." His ideas were echoed RECENTLY by Helena Dalli, who intends to 'audit' civil workers! Or ask Joseph's: "Our enemies are the Nationalists."