Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1373323
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 MAY 2021 NEWS WITH an investment of around €1,000,000, more than 3,100 post-sec- ondary students will start benefitting from free internet for one year, Education Minister Justyne Caruana and the Minis- ter for the Economy and Industry, Silvio Schembri announced yesterday. This measure will benefit stipend-eli- gible students from State, Independent and Church Schools, Junior College and MCAST who opt to immediately contin- ue their studies after finishing Year 11 (Form 5). "This is a Government which delivers on its promises. This scheme was announced in the last budget, and after a lot of work, today we are here to deliver to the stu- dents what we have promised them," Caruana said. "We are currently concluding sever- al strategies that we will put forward, all of which are important for various are- as of the Education sector. One of these will look at continuing our work to en- courage students to continue with their studies after they finish their compulsory education. Along with other initiatives, this scheme coincides with this, because through it we are not only financially as- sisting these students, but we are sending them a clear message, that if they contin- ue their studies, they will find all the nec- essary support and backing by the Minis- try for Education." Vouchers will be distributed electroni- cally by today and can be redeemed from tomorrow. Vouchers are valid until the end of June 2021. Schembri, explained how after discus- sions with the country's leading Internet Service Providers, MIMCOL determined that a system could be designed that would facilitate the distribution by the Department of Education of the vouchers with a value of € 300 for students. "When drawing up this year's Budget we looked at the impact on the students themselves, especially when considering that several lessons were conducted on- line. We have therefore worked on a solu- tion with the support of MIMCOL, so that post-secondary students can enjoy free internet, not only in their homes but also on their mobile and everywhere else, thanks to the strength of connectivity, which also provides them with a certain flexibility," he said. Students will receive a free €300 Inter- net voucher via email. This can then be cashed at one of the major Internet Ser- vice Provider stores. The voucher can be redeemed from the service providers, which service provider will be immediately paid through the sys- tem designed by MIMCOL. Each student can choose any internet scheme offered for the voucher value. More information on this initiative is available at freeinternetvoucher.edu.mt and at education.vouchersmimcol.com or through telephone number 153. Free internet voucher scheme with a value of €300 for post- secondary students Silvio Schembri and Justyne Caruana MATTHEW AGIUS THE daughter of a care home resident has asked the police to take action against Casa Arkati management in Mosta, claim- ing her elderly mother was being malnourished and severely ne- glected, after the elderly woman lost a leg to a gangrenous infec- tion that had developed without her family being informed. A criminal complaint was filed on Friday, claiming criminal negligence on the part of the lead nurse and manager at the home had led directly to the am- putation. Nonagenarian Rita Camilleri's daughter told MaltaToday that the elderly woman, who resides at Casa Arkati, had developed a red spot on her toe some eight months ago and was prescribed antibiotics. She assumed all was well after that as she was not given any updates on the woman's condi- tion. But she said a nurse, who is no longer working there, had called the daughter sometime later, informing her that one of her mother's toes had turned black and that inflammation was spreading upwards. The daughter contacted a spe- cialist, who recommended that Rita Camilleri be taken to hospi- tal right away. Rita lost two toes in her first operation. "I chased the nurses and carers at Casa Arkati to bring a special- ised government nurse to treat her toe. In the meantime I wasn't allowed to see my mother be- cause of COVID-19 quarantine," Maria Dolores Camilleri said. At hospital, Camilleri's foot was later amputated, but the gangrene had spread and doc- tors were subsequently forced to amputate her leg below the knee. Around six weeks ago, the pa- tient was unable to talk to her daughter, other than to cry in pain, her daughter said. She was then not allowed to see her mother at the home for the el- derly due to COVID-19 restric- tions. A nurse reported that her mother was shouting at night and might need to be referred for psychiatric treatment. "I said: don't tell me that word [psychi- atric treatment] again. You left her for 13 days in pain!" Camill- eri told this newspaper. A day later the woman finally saw her mother again. "When I saw her I took fright. She was skeletal and subdued, not talk- ing… I started shouting and cry- ing telling her 'ma, you aren't eating! Aren't they feeding you?' She said, under her breath, 'I'm hungry'." The woman engaged a diabetes specialist, who took photos and referred her to the emergency department. "Casa Arkati said she wasn't eating and was refus- ing food. I have a video of her at the ER show her crying with hunger and then eagerly eating a sandwich provided by the ER staff." After the amputation, Casa Arkati had to enforce a 15-day quarantine requirement on pa- tients returning from Mater Dei Hospital. CareMalta, which runs the home, "strongly denied" that any of its residents had not been given proper care and support and insisted that it "at all times follows and abides by the guide- lines issued by the Social Care Standards Authority." "Unfortunately in some cases lack of food intake, pain and de- terioration of health is unavoid- able due to old age and illness- es, however rest assured that in such cases our team of nurses and carers work hand in hand with the medical staff to ensure that the residents receive the ap- propriate treatment and care," CareMalta said. The management added that it had all the necessary protocols to deal with such cases in place. "Whenever such situations arise, we inform the relatives of the changing situation in the resident's health. Furthermore, should the resident's condition turn for the worse leading to an-end-of life situation, and is certified by a medical doctor, relatives are allowed to visit. In the absence of such a certificate no relatives are allowed to enter the home outside visiting hours as per national guidelines." Camilleri said that since filing the police report, the care home manager was not taking her calls and the Social Care Standards Authority was doing likewise. "It's not a bad home, but if em- ployees are not up to scratch they must be replaced. These things must be regulated." "The family was kept in the dark," the daughter said, after filing her police report. "What they did before, they can do again. I don't want her to die." Woman files police report fearing mother's neglect in care home Casa Arkati