Aim of medical students’ campaign

The Malta Medical Students’ Association (MMSA) condemns the approach taken by columnist Mark Anthony Falzon (‘We shall nanny them on the beaches’, September 11) and the way the article was written.

This is the third year of the Reach on the Beach campaign. This campaign has always gained the support of the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), local councils and the Health Promotion Department; it is directed at raising awareness about the excessive exposure to the sun and its link to a higher risk of melanoma, as well as smoking risks.

This year, the campaign was joined to one organised by the MTA which emphasised the health and environmental risks posed by smoking.

As an association of medical students, we are encouraged to increase awareness about public health by our peers as well as our superiors, and as future medical personnel we are also committed to public health. Such campaigns are part of these efforts.

Raising awareness does not mean imposing on the public, as Dr Falzon claimed. Our campaigns invite the public to discuss an issue, and are not intended to dictate, preach or enforce regulations.

Anyone aware of the association’s activities knows that the many campaigns organised by “this group of well intentioned young men and women” are well resourced and backed by many health-affiliated organisations, and always aim to reduce health-related social problems through culture and gender-sensitive health advocacy, in conformity with our mission statement.

The comment regarding how we spend our free time is unjust and uncalled for. Medical students are still University students, and dedicating three hours a week towards a campaign does not mean nor imply that we are unable to enjoy our free time.

MMSA understands that Dr Falzon’s is a subjective opinion, but it does not justify his unfair comments directed towards a campaign which is solely intended to benefit the public.

Being students ourselves, we agree with Dr Falzon that “for the average healthy person, one of the best things about the beach experience is actually getting there”, but as medical students we also believe that an average healthy person should be aware of how to take care of his or her health, and such campaigns targeting national problems and aimed at public health definitely help achieve this.