Fame at last for Boffa Hospital cats

The cats on the grounds of Sir Paul Boffa Hospital are once again in the headlines - but this time not for being a nuisance, but to raise money for charity.

The colony of about 60 cats had at times raised the ire of the hospital administration, but Prof. Stephen Brincat suddenly decided to put them to good use by compiling a calendar featuring 'The Cats of Sir Paul Boffa Hospital'.

All the proceeds from the calendar, which is available in all leading bookshops at Lm2, will go towards the Malta Cancer Foundation.

Prof. Brincat, a cancer specialist at the hospital, is a self-confessed cat-lover and since he loves experimenting with photography he embarked on his project two months ago.

Taking photos of stray cats did not prove so easy and he could often be seen ambling through the bushes or crouching behind trees in an attempt to shoot them unawares.

"For every good photo there were six or more other blurred ones," Prof. Brincat laughed.

"Though the cats sometimes make a nuisance of themselves, they add character to the hospital and the many cat lovers who work in the hospital or visit have become very fond of them," he added.

The Malta Cancer Foundation, which will benefit from the money collected, was set up two years ago and has been providing counselling services and coordinating the cancer research programmes at Boffa Hospital.

The Oncology Department is involved in a number of research programmes which give patients access to new drugs, which would otherwise not be available to them.

"It also allows us to make our contribution to improving treatment of this disease and ensures we maintain the high standards needed to participate in these international studies.

With more funds available, the foundation could begin work on refurbishing new wards at Boffa Hospital.