An editorial in the Times of Malta of August 1 emphasised the need for better facilities for Gozo patients. Accommodation for Gozitan patients and their families requiring medical attention not available locally is arguably better in London than it is locally.
The same situation is faced by Gozitan students studying in Malta.
It is therefore refreshing to read in The Sunday Times of Malta (September 2), that the Gozo diocese is setting up two youth hostels in Malta to accommodate Gozitan students studying in Malta.
It is perhaps not sufficiently appreciated what a disadvantage is inherent in having to cross the channel every day, a journey that takes no less than half a working day, every day, involving at least a two-hour trip each way. The alternative to daily travel is the considerable expense involved in renting accommodation, looking after oneself, something often neglected and inadequate, and frequently associated with emotional deprivation, and, at best, leading to a lonely existence away from family for people as young as 17.
It takes a Gozitan to appreciate the hardships involved in such an arrangement. It is therefore with a sigh of considerable relief to read that the Bishop of Gozo, Mario Grech, and the Gozo diocese is setting up two hostels in Malta for Gozitan students, on property made available by the Augustinians and the Sisters of St Joseph. This will provide relatively cheap accommodation, particularly for needy students.
It is hoped that the government, and the University itself, will follow on this example and provide adequate accommodation for Gozitan students studying in Malta.