The President and Mrs Vella visited Maltese patients residing in the apartments of the Puttinu Cares Foundation in Sutton and in the residence of the Franciscan Sisters.
Commenting at the end of the visit, the President explained that the purpose of this visit was to give courage to the Maltese patients currently receiving treatment in the hospitals of London and the surrounding area. “Everyone has their own story, some of them have been here for a long time, others are still coming, but at the same time there is the consolation that they are finding support for their problems from their friends and from Maltese like them,” said the President.
Currently, there are 37 Maltese patients receiving treatment in London and the surrounding area. Most of them and their accompanying relatives are residing in the apartments of the Puttinu Cares Foundation, as well as in the residences of the Franciscan Sisters and the Augustinian Sisters.
The patients expressed their appreciation for the visit by the President and Mrs Vella, as well as for the support provided by The Malta Community Chest Fund in the costs of flight tickets, accommodation, food, and basic needs of the accompanying relatives.
Among their engagements in the United Kingdom, the President and Mrs Vella also visited the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre hospital in Oxford where Maltese patients receive specialised orthopaedic treatment. President Vella thanked the doctors, two of which are Maltese, and the administration for attending Maltese patients, and augured that the links between Malta and this hospital, which go back to 1947, remain strong in the years to come.
The President and Mrs Vella also visited the Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences which conducts research on the causes of conditions affecting joints, bones and muscles, and new treatments for such conditions. “They gave us technical information about the ongoing developments and the possibilities of improvement in the health service,” explained the President.
In London, the President also met with several Maltese consultants working in hospitals where Maltese patients receive treatment.