The student population at Barts Medical School in Gozo has risen to 59, but at this rate the target mentioned by the Prime Minister of having 300 after five years will not be met.
Compared to last April when the figure stood at 40, the total suggests that the intake in the second year was of just 19 students.
However, the details seem to be shrouded under a veil of secrecy as the government has repeatedly refused to divulge any data, even when the matter was raised in Parliament.
Two weeks ago, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo declined to reply to questions filed by Gozitan MP Chris Said on the number of students, their nationalities and if any of them had the course expenses covered by a scholarship.
The total suggests that the intake in the second year was of just 19 students
In his reply, Mr Bartolo, referred the MP to a reply given to a similar question made last February, in which it was stated that such information could not be divulged as it was “commercially sensitive”.
In contrast, a spokesman for Barts in London had no issues whatsoever to disclose the number of students at their medical school in Gozo for the second time this year. While earlier this year he had said that the figure stood at 40, a few days ago he noted that this had risen to 59. However, questions similar to those raised in Parliament were not answered by the time of writing.
Meanwhile, the school is still using makeshift premises at the Gozo Sixth Form in Victoria, pending the completion of a new campus at the Gozo General Hospital. This project was originally scheduled to be ready in 2016, but has been repeatedly postponed, with the latest deadline set for the middle of next year.
In 2015, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced that by its fifth year, the Barts campus would be accommodating about 300 students. Meanwhile, in the coming days a new anatomy centre servicing Barts Medical School will be inaugurated. However, this decision has fuelled criticism in the wake of complaints that it will be replacing a child development centre.
PN MP Chris Said has accused the government of giving priority to Barts over the provision of specialised medical services to Gozitan children.