Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1535522
KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt 8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 MAY 2025 NEWS Mark Camilleri gets €25,000 service contract with Arts Council Dar Camilleri, a company owned by former Book Council chair Mark Camilleri, will be tasked with preparing a report on commercialising the culture industries KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt MARK Camilleri's publishing house, Dar Camilleri, has been awarded a €25,000 contract by the Arts Council to draw up a re- port for the government entity. An Arts Council Malta spokes- person confirmed Dar Camilleri will be tasked with preparing a report on Commercialising Mal- ta's Culture Industries and Tap- ping Private Capital. The duration of the contract was not provided by the Arts Council. The Arts Council falls under the purview of Culture Minister Owen Bonnici. Dar Camilleri was set up by Camilleri as an independent publishing house in 2021, short- ly after his government contract with the National Book Council was not renewed. Last year, Mark Camilleri had also confirmed he was in talks with the Education Ministry over a possible return as a con- sultant with the National Book Council. After MaltaToday re- vealed the possible engagement, Camilleri had said no contract was signed. In 2021, Camilleri's contract with the Book Council was not renewed by the Education Ministry. He had subsequently filed a judicial protest against the National Book Council and the government, claiming that then Education Minister Justyne Caruana and Permanent Sec- retary Frank Fabri broke the law when they "completely dis- regarded" a decision taken by members of the National Book Congress when appointing the council. He went on to file a constitu- tional case in 2022, claiming po- litical discrimination. Camilleri was awarded €500 after a court determined he suf- fered discrimination, but ruled the non-renewal of his contract as chairperson of the National Book Council was not illegal. In its ruling, the court also made reference to instances where Camilleri spoke to em- ployees in a "vulgar, insolent and aggressive" manner. Mark Camilleri (File Photo) 17 gender-affirming surgeries at Mater Dei Hospital in five years MATER Dei Hospital carried out 17 gender-affirming surger- ies since 2020, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela told parlia- ment last week. According to data tabled in the House of Representatives, three people had an orchiec- tomy—removal of testicles— while 13 individuals had their breast removed, known in medical terms as a mastecto- my. One other individual had their uterus removed; a surgical intervention known as hyster- ectomy. Abela was replying to a ques- tion by Nationalist MP Grazi- ella Attard Previ, who sought clarification on the type of gen- der-affirming surgeries offered by the public hospital. The minister said the gen- der-affirming surgeries cur- rently offered at Mater Dei Hospital also included breast enhancement. Gender-affirming surgery is performed to give transgender individuals the physical appear- ance and functional abilities of the gender they identify with. From the parliamentary re- ply it transpires that the public hospital does not offer trans- feminine bottom surgery, in- tended to reconstruct the male genitalia into female genitalia. Neither does it offer transmas- culine bottom surgery, intend- ed to reconstruct the female genitalia into male genitalia. Abela said all patients are as- sessed by a multi-disciplinary team before undergoing any of the surgical procedures. In December last year, when replying to another parliamen- tary question, Abela said the Gender Clinic had received 505 referrals and 377 patients had undergone their first assess- ment. The Gender Wellbeing Clinic was opened in 2018 and it pro- vides psychological support, and offers endocrinological and gynaecological services, apart from gender-affirming surgery. In 2015, the Maltese parlia- ment passed the Gender Iden- tity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act, which allowed individuals aged 16 and over to self-identify by making a declaration in front of a no- tary. No proof of surgical in- tervention is required to carry out this legal procedure. The assumed gender is then reflect- ed on official documents. Mater Dei Hospital offers four types of gender-affirming surgeries, according to information tabled in parliament