Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/934206
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 31 JANUARY 2018 News 6 MARIA PACE THERE are currently 8,733 full- time students and 2,547 part- time students at the University of Malta. Answering a parliamentary question put to him by Byron Camilleri, Education Minis- ter Evarist Bartolo said a total of 3,901 students enrolled for a course at the university for the 2017/2018 academic year. The majority of new enroll- ments were women, standing at 2,299 new female students. The number of new male stu- dents stood at 1,602. The faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy recorded the highest number of new students, with a total of 576, 303 being female and 273 male. The second highest intake was in the faculty of Arts, with 293 females and 130 male students. These were followed by the faculty of Social Wellbeing with 367 students, the faculty of Health Sciences with 364 stu- dents, and the faculty of Laws with 354 students. The Mediterranean Institute and Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy recorded the lowest number. The institutes recorded two female and two male students respectively. The institute of Aerospace Technologies also saw only male enrollment, with a total of 13 students, whereas the Cen- tre for English Language Profi- ciency has just nine new female students. When it comes to G.F. Abela Junior College, there are cur- rently 1,890 students. While 1,059 of them are in their first year, 831 are in their second year. 925 students enrolled for their first year during the 2017/2018 academic year, meaning that out of the 1,059 first years, 134 are repeating a year. 1,818 students are currently attending Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary in Naxxar. A total of 11,280 students currently studying at the University of Malta New students include 2,299 females as opposed to 1,602 males MASSIMO COSTA THE government never noti- fied the Medical Association of Malta about the sale of the Vitals Global Healthcare hos- pitals concession to Steward Health Care, Martin Balzan, general secretary of the Medi- cal Association of Malta has said, as he told this newspaper that the doctors' union only got to know about the sale through the media. Balzan's comments come in the wake of a doctors' agree- ment to initiate industrial ac- tion as from next week. On Tuesday, the MAM execu- tive council authorised the un- ion to launch industrial action, following the refusal of doctors to meet with Steward Health Care, the operator that will take over the Gozo, St Luke's and Karin Grech Hospitals from Vi- tals Global Healthcare. The dispute centred on a number of issues, Balzan ex- plained. The collective agree- ment with the union stipulated that at least six weeks' notice to doctors had to be given of any planned sale to a private entity; the key elements, in this case the contract between Stew- ard and the government, had to be shown to the union; and an agreement had to first be reached with the union by the end of December 2017. None of these had taken place, Balzan highlighted, as he said that "everything was done behind our backs, in se- cret." "We have objections, in prin- ciple, to the privatisation of free public health care, which has a social element," he main- tained. "Moreover, we believe that the current government deal is not a good one. It failed – no matter who is placed in charge, the deal will work against the national interest. Even if the government wants to go ahead with a public-private partner- ship, it should start afresh with a new deal." Balzan explained that a num- ber of meetings with MAM's members were planned for next week, and that the pos- sibility of starting a legal chal- lenge to the sale was also being explored with the union's law- yers. The MAM council said ear- lier that widespread industrial action will take place in all health sectors in Malta and in Gozo as from 5 February, and that it would proceed with any legal action as necessary in lo- cal and European courts. mcosta@mediatoday.com.mt Doctors' union industrial to start from next Doctors' union general secretary maintains government should start afresh with a new deal, current one 'failed' MAM WAS NEVER INFORMED OF HOSPITALS' SALE Government hospital sale done 'in secret', 'behind back' of doctors' union, MAM general secretary Martin Balzan (pictured right) said "We believe that the current government deal is not a good one. It failed – no matter who is placed in charge, the deal will work against the national interest" A major food importer in Malta is seeking the services of a well-connected Food Service Distributor in Gozo. Interested parties are to contact: Mr. Stephen Muscat CPA 17/1 Kevman, Triq id-Denċi, Mellieħa MLH4110 Email: smuscat@go.net.mt Catering OPERATOR GOZO