Ta’ Qali animal hospital set to reopen soon

The Ta’ Qali animal hospital has been refurbished and equipped with modern facilities and will soon serve as a clinical training centre for students enrolled in Malta’s new veterinary programmes at MCAST.

Education Minister Byron Camilleri visited the final works at the facility with MCAST officials as preparations continue for the hospital to begin supporting practical training from the next academic year.

The hospital will be used by students studying for a Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Animal Management and Veterinary Nursing, while also operating as an animal hospital.

“With this animal hospital, we are investing in the infrastructure needed for MCAST to provide high-level clinical and practical training in veterinary services,” Camilleri said.

He said the facility would give students professional experience in animal care, ranging from diagnostic procedures to surgical interventions.

The Ta’ Qali facility has been at the centre of plans to expand veterinary education and services in Malta. The hospital had been closed since August 2023 and was previously expected to reopen in 2024. In October 2025, then-Education Minister Clifton Grima said it would reopen “in the coming weeks”.

The latest plans also build on MCAST’s cooperation with the University of Barcelona, which has helped establish the veterinary programmes in Malta. The first group of Maltese students was given the opportunity to undertake a month of clinical training at the University of Barcelona, Camilleri said.

He said the programmes, which were not previously available in Malta, had been developed through government investment and MCAST’s efforts to acquire the professional expertise required to offer veterinary education locally.

The Ta’ Qali hospital will form an integral part of students’ training, particularly as students progress through the five-year MSc programme and its clinical component increases.

The facility will allow students to work under supervision with animals and real clinical cases, gaining experience in diagnostics, treatments and medical and surgical procedures. It will also give them an opportunity to apply the scientific knowledge acquired during their studies in a clinical environment.

Camilleri said demand for veterinary services was increasing, while noting the number of students already enrolled on the programmes and the higher number of applications received this year.

MCAST principal and CEO Stephen Vella said the institute was continuing to create new opportunities for students as it prepared for the new academic year.

“Our investment in veterinary studies is part of this commitment, giving students the opportunity to study, train and gain practical experience in Malta while preparing for a profession that our country needs,” Vella said.

The first cohort of students on the Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine is expected to graduate from MCAST in 2029. Graduates will then be able to seek the professional warrant recognised in Malta and across European Union countries.