Ġieħ ir-Repubblika Should Have Gone To Hospitals And Not Only Public Figures, Nurses Union Head Says
Malta’s hospitals, and not a few public figures, should have been collectively awarded the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika for their ongoing work during the pandemic, the head of the nurses union has argued.
“We thought the honour would be given to all our hospitals, with their CEOs representing them,” Paul Pace told Lovin Malta. “There are people on the ground who aren’t public figures but who are consistently striving and performing miracles.”
The Ġieħ ir-Repubblika, Malta’s highest honour, was yesterday bestowed upon Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci, Mater Dei’s pathology department head Christopher Barbara, Mater Dei’s infectious disease department Charles Mallia Azzopardi, and lead respiratory consultant Stephen Montefort.
Pace said that while these medical experts deserve such recognition, the same is true of other unsung health heroes.
“If it was just Charmaine Gauci representing the whole medical effort against COVID-19, it would have been fine, but why have three people from Mater Dei and no one representing all the other hospitals? Not even all the wards of Mater Dei were represented yesterday.”
“We’re all striving hard. Workers at San Vincenz and Mount Carmel don’t get as much publicity as those at Mater Dei but they’re all working hard, sacrificing their leave, and facing days in quarantine.”
Besides the health experts, the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika was yesterday also awarded to newly-appointed Gozitan cardinal Mario Grech, AFM Commander Jeffrey Curmi, maestro Paul Abela, Maltese literature professor Charles Briffa, artistic director Anthony Cassar Darien, former trade unionist James Henry Pearsall, Mons. Joe Vella Gauci, biology professors Carmelo Agius and Alan Deidun, theology professor Emmanuel Agius, film producers Elio Lombardi and Rebecca Cremona, former Maltese national team coach Ray Farrugia, and the members of the renowned Gozitan band The Tramps.
What do you make of Paul Pace’s proposal?
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