Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/326223
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 JUNE 2014 3 News US, Italy and Malta in joint rescue of 25 migrant boats JURGEN BALZAN FIVE migrants rescued at sea ar- rived in Malta yesterday after being airlifted by a US Navy aircraft, fol- lowing a rescue operation involv- ing Malta, Italy and the US military which involved 25 migrant boats at sea simultaneously. The migrants, including a child, a woman and three men, were trans- ferred to Mater Dei Hospital from a US warship, using its on-board V22 Osprey Aircraft. The aircraft landed at the Malta International Airport with the five migrants where an awaiting ambu- lance transferred the castaways for further medical treatment at Mater Dei Hospital. The Armed Forces of Malta said it was actively contributing to one of the largest aero-naval search and rescue operations that unfolded in the Mediterranean over the past few years. The search and rescue operation saw the involvement of a number of Italian navy and coast guard vessels, US navy warships, all the merchant vessels in the area as well as three AFM patrol vessels and an AFM maritime patrol aircraft. It is understood that the migrants who were saved at sea will be taken to Italy. The AFM Offshore patrol vessel P51 at one time, saved 103 migrants, 13 of whom were women and one baby, after their dinghy deflated and all the persons on board ended up at sea. The migrants were later trans- ferred aboard the patrol vessel P61, where initial help was provided to the rescued migrants and it was es- tablished that three migrants saved by the Maltese servicemen required medical assistance. All the operations throughout the night were coordinated by the Mal- tese and Italian Rescue and Coordi- nation Centres. On Friday, the Italian navy said that it had saved over 2,500 migrants at sea over the previous 24 hours. The navy said it rescued a total of 17 mi- grant boats that had departed from the coast of North Africa. They were saved as part of the Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) Rescue Operation that Italy launched after around 400 peo- ple were killed on two migrant-boat disasters in October 2013. After the navy statement, the Ital- ian Coast Guard said it had rescued another 300 people in a boat in trou- ble some 42 miles south of the Sicil- ian island of Lampedusa. Furthermore, a merchant ship res- cued 94 more and was taking them to Catania. Italy is having trouble managing after a massive increase this year in the already big flow of migrants who attempt the hazardous crossing from North Africa to Italy. Out-of-court settlement for breast surgery victim MATTHEW VELLA ANITA Roehsl, the Austrian citizen who lost her right breast and half of her left one after having cosmetic sur- gery, has been paid an out-of-court settlement on condition that she does not pursue legal action against her surgeon. MaltaToday was told by two medi- cal sources that a five-figure private settlement – over €100,000 – was reached between lawyers represent- ing Roehsl and the surgeon, whose identity this newspaper is unaware of. Both sides were said to have pre- ferred not to take the matter into court. In 2012, Roehsl underwent a sev- en-hour cosmetic surgery, which included removing excess skin from her arms, to have a breast lift and implants, costing €7,000. But after surgery, her right nipple turned black and she later learnt her breast tissue was rotting away due to poor blood supply. Two months after surgery she had a further operation, at another hospi- tal, to remove the dead tissue – which was all her right breast and half of her left breast. With her condition deteriorating, she decided to get a second opinion and consulted a doctor at another clinic. The surgeon there operated on her the following day, removing all the dead tissue: Roehsl had con- tracted necrosis, the irreversible death of body tissue when there is an inad- equate blood supply. Roehsl filed a complaint with the Malta Medical Council, the body tasked with ensuring ethical and pro- fessional standards among doctors. The council can hear both parties before deciding whether to launch an inquiry into the complaint, which can lead to the suspension and even erasure of medial practitioners from the register. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARMED FORCES OF MALTA Anita Roehsl