I am most grateful to The Sunday Times of Malta for publishing the superb achievement of Donald Dalli and his fellow researchers who aim to improve the quality of life of hip replacement patients (‘Budding engineer wins competition with new hip design’, March 4).

Sadly, some years ago I suffered a bad accident which greatly affected my right hip.  Unfortunately, on being rushed to Mater Dei I was not given a hip replacement but underwent an operation which involved the “percutaneous insertion of three cannulated screws’’.

Regrettably, being in my 80s I was denied the services of two experts experienced in physiotherapy and who at the time had been very anxious to relieve me of my constant excruciating pains, besides the inability to walk without a proper steel walking aid.

Hospital therapy was promptly terminated and I was discharged as a result of a shortage of beds.

I have since encountered much difficulty to find a volunteer so as to occasionally accompany me on for a short stroll in Swieqi, which has become a most hectic, noisy and dangerous place undergoing excessive construction work.