The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said it could not understand how the university had "refused" a number of prospective nursing students when the country still needed more nurses.

The union said it had received calls from young people and their relatives complaining that the university had refused their application to join the course. It said that when contacted, the university had told the applicants that since the available 140 seats on the course had been reached, further online applications could not be accepted.

Malta currently suffers from a shortage of nursing staff, which has led to promotional campaigns enticing young people to join the profession. There have also been calls for nurses from abroad to start working in Malta.

Last year, the campaign bore fruit and an unprecedented 379 prospective students applied to join the course, with 140 students being accepted at first with the number then being revised up to 165, after pressure was brought to bear by the union.

The MUMN said the solution to the shortage was not to recruit foreign nurses but to have local ones who "share the same language and culture", especially in view of the fact that a number of patients, in particular some of the elderly, did not understand English well and could communicate properly only in Maltese.

Last year, the university had justified its decision not to allow more people to enrol for the course on placement availability.

The university explained that training placements were the determining factor in the number of students that could be accepted in the course. It said it was bound by an EU directive to ensure that standards were maintained and training provided.

Meanwhile, Christian Democrat student organisation SDM said it was concerned about the refusals reported by the MUMN, hoping that a solution would be found so that all applicants with the adequate requirements would be admitted to the course.

Student organisation Pulse said it was disappointed at how the university was imposing a cap on the nursing course. "This system is not only hindering students from pursuing their desired career but also contrasts heavily with the investment being made in our education system," the organisation said.