Labour accuses Gonzi of ‘wrong decision’ in declaring that there was a glut of nurses

Labour’s main spokesperson for Social Policy recalled that in order to reduce the number of students that were pursuing the nursing option, “he took measures to deter students from this vocational profession”.

“Now, such an important sector such as the health sector is suffering from Gonzi’s strategically flawed decision,” he insisted.

Farrugia explained how it was only “thanks to various initiatives taken by nurses’ union MUMN”, which this year took a series of initiatives to entice more young people to take up the nursing profession, “that this year, three was a good number of young people who had applied again for the nursing course at the University of Malta”.

Farrugia explained how “despite the huge interest shown by young people to start nursing courses, as has happened during the past few years”, around 94 students who had applied for the nursing course “are not going to be accepted into the nursing course”.

He lamented how “not even those students who will be getting the necessary grades after passing their re-sits are going to be accepted for the nursing course”

Farrugia insisted that the shortage of nurses was going to “continue harming better cure for patients and the provision of the best health care service” in Malta.

At the same time, this decision was going to be a setback for the “urgent expansion which is needed in the health and elderly sector in Malta”, Farrugia concluded his statement.

Health Minister defends decision not to admit more nursing students this year

In a reply issued in response to Farrugia’s statement late this afternoon, Health Minister Joe Cassar explained that during the coming academic year 2010/11, at the University of Malta there would be a total of 342 students attending various nursing courses.

Out of this, 165 new students were going to start a nursing course next October, of which 23 already worked as Nursing Aides and were going to be accepted according to the Maturity Clause. 

The Minister defended his decision not to allow more students to attend for nursing courses for this academic than for the same courses the previous academic year despite of the shortage of nurses.

“This number is worked out so that each student could have the opportunity to train in hospitals according to EU standards,” Cassar claimed.

Regarding the staffing levels of nurses in public hospitals, he explained how the Government had an open call for applications for qualified nurses which would be employed “immediately”.

In this respect, around 40 nurses have been interviewed during the past few years so that they could also work “immediately,” the Health Minister announced.

Moreover, he added, another tender had been issued through various recruiting agencies for the employment of another 250 qualified nurses from abroad so that they could work in the Maltese health service. This tender closes next month.