The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on a number of people and industries, with the pandemic occurring suddenly and with little time for prior preparation. As numbers started to rise, several measures had to be put in place to tackle the situation.
The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the University of Malta was one of the faculties impacted by the pandemic, with the faculty having to give up their office that was replaced by a ward and ancillary services, and a swabbing centre.
The students and staff agreed to this change as they understood the gravity of the situation. Ever since February 2021, around 90 students and staff have volunteered to administer the Covid vaccines, with the Dean of the Faculty, Prof Nikolai Attard, having organised this voluntary initiative and encouraged students to help whenever they could.
This effort was in collaboration with the Ministry for Health and the UM Mobile Dental Unit, with participants having worked throughout their academic year, summer holidays, and public holidays.
It is evident that students and staff had a lot to juggle, with their daily dental practice, lectures, exams, and helping out with the administration of vaccines.
So, why are they being denied their space back?
The change of their office into a ward was only supposed to be a temporary solution, however, the Malta Association of Dental Students have argued that students have now been left with “a space that is inadequate to suffice their needs”.
The Malta Association of Dental Surgery further stated that any
division of space within the present, and any new health related facility, should include the Faculty of Dental Surgery.
Faculty of Dental Surgery, via Facebook statement
Since students spend all of their years during their course working and studying in MDH’s teaching facilities, which include lab sessions, teaching clinical sessions, and ward rounds, the faculty deserves a permanent space that can house the students and meet their academic needs.
Since the pandemic, the faculty was moved 5 times around campus, which has caused logistical issues and has created unnecessary hassle.
The Faculty urges that
Any discussion on the allocation of space should place the Faculty of Dental Surgery high on the agenda of the University and government in view of its current situation, especially when one considers that other faculties already have plenty of space available within the hospital and on the Msida Campus.
Faculty of Dental Surgery, via Facebook statement