Updated | Radiography, nursing students ‘prepared to work abroad’ if recruitment system is not clarified

Updated at 3:30pm with comments from the Health Ministry

The Health Ministry has decried statements made by Labour's spokesperson for health Marie Louise Coleiro Preca as "completely untrue".

A ministry's spokesman told MaltaToday that qualifications were a must for students to become nurses and that it wasn't true that students who have not yet obtained their degree were chosen over those who got first class honours.

"It is true that interviews were carried out before exams and thesis results were issued, but this was done to speed up the process. No new nurses have been employed so far and it's completely false that only the interviews were taken into consideration," he said, insisting that qualifications were a "must".

Coleiro Preca also said that a government official had told radiography students that there weren't any funds to employ new radiographers. However, the spokesman said he couldn't comment on the issue at this stage since funds to different health sectors are allocated separately.

Earlier

Nursing students have complained with Labour's spokesperson for health Marie Louise Coleiro Preca that students who have not yet obtained their degree as they are awaiting a resit, have been chosen to work as nurses while others who got first class honours were not chosen.

On the other hand, radiography students have been told they cannot be employed as government lacks funds to pay them.

Addressing a press conference at Labour's headquarters, Coleiro Preca presented the media with two emails - that cannot be published as not to reveal the identitis of the sender - written by radiography and nursing students who have just completed their four-year course.

"Instead of explaining why students were chosen based on how they did during their 45-minute interview, the Health Ministry chose to attack us for voicing the students' concerns," Coleiro Preca said today.

Yesterday, the health ministry belied Labour's comments and accused them of not verifying the facts.

However, Coleiro Preca has now received emails from students reiterating the statements brought forward by Labour.

The students complained that it was unfair that those who worked hard and obtained excellent results were not chosen while others who had almost failed have been engaged.

"What we are understanding is that it is not how hard you work during the course that matters, but how well you do during a 10-minute interview," one nursing student wrote.

"Four years of hard work have been thrown away. And yet, we have not received any clarifications to why nurses were only selected through the interview."

The students added that they were ready to seek opportunities abroad.

A radiography student on the other hand said that Michael Deguara, the assistant director of the human resources office within the ministry, said the interview system had been the quicker way by which to choose students.

The student added that another official told them there weren't enough funds to employ radiographers.