Seventy-four new nurses have joined the public health system, the Health Ministry announced on Saturday.

Many of the new recruits have already been deployed to wards in Mater Dei Hospital, it said, allowing them to accumulate experience at the state-run national hospital.

Health Minister Chris Fearne met with the 74 new nurses at Mater Dei and urged them to use their first years in the job to identify their favourite fields within the nursing profession and specialise in them.

Fearne also urged more young people to consider a career in nursing.

News of the new recruits comes just days after the nurses’ union said that many hospital wards were often left severely understaffed due to a lack of nurses.

Having three nurses to oversee 23 patients at night is a “luxury”, MUMN boss Paul Pace said.

Pace was reacting to a magistrate’s conclusions about “seriously concerning” nursing staff levels at Mater Dei. The government reacted to those conclusions by saying that Mater Dei “aims to maintain” nurse-to-patient ratios in line with international recommendations.

It however failed to provide statistics about the number of nurses per patient at the hospital.

EU recommendations advise healthcare providers to ensure a minimum of four nurses per 24 patients at night, rising to six during daytime hours.