Great news, indeed

There is good news today, Malta.

Sitting on our terrace this morning, enjoying the sun and breakfast, we spied a wonderful sight. Just one street away from us, the national bird of Malta, a crane, was being taken down.

One minor victory for everyone.

Alan Zelt – Naxxar

Knee treatment

Photo: Shutterstock.com

On September 7, an article appeared in Times of Malta (both print and online versions) titled ‘MaltaKnee: Project attempting to streamline treatment for arthritis’ where clear inaccuracies were promulgated.

The article related to the MaltaKnee project being developed by the University of Malta together with Empav engineering and supported by Mater Dei orthopaedic specialists. The project is funded under the TDP grants by the Malta Council for Science and Technology.

Although this particular project is focused on the treatment of the early stages of degenerative arthritis of the knee, joint replacement surgery remains, in fact, the gold standard for severe arthritis of the knee in most age groups.

The MaltaKnee is, in fact, an alternative to certain early stages of arthritis, not a modification of current knee replacement surgery.

People with severe pain due to arthritis benefit immensely from knee replacement surgery in many cases and it is in no way, in fact, correct that the University of Malta said otherwise.

The team who wrote and are working on the project wish to make it clear they never said or supported such statements and join together with our surgical colleagues encouraging all those suffering knee pain and arthritis to be surgically assessed as to the option of knee replacement surgery as needed.

If (and only if) the MaltaKnee project produces a functional and feasible prototype which passes the necessary initial tests, it will take years of clinical trials before it can become an option to be offered to patients.

Pierre Schembri-Wismayer and Ray Gatt, on behalf of the Malta­Knee consortium – Msida

Website’s shortcomings

I write to suggest politely to Finance Minister Clyde Caruana to start any restructuring of Air Malta with a very basic first step. This would be the complete overhaul of Air Malta’s website. It is a disaster.

I just spent a couple of hours trying to book a one-way ticket to Paris.

The experience was a total disaster. Not only is the website totally buggy but when I (finally) arrived at the stage where I had to pay, the website said that for the time being the website could not accept any credit card. Amazing.

Victor Agius – St Julian’s

Contradictory arguments

Moviment Graffitti carries out a lot of laudable actions to avoid destruction of vulnerable environments of our Mother Earth. And, yet, it advocates the destruction of innocent and vulnerable human lives growing in womens’ wombs.

Rather contradictory, no?

Carmel Sciberras – Naxxar