Today, Malta marks Republic Day, the 48th since becoming a Republic, when on the 13th December 1974 the Maltese Constitution was amended and Malta became a Republic, with Sir Anthony Mamo as its first President.

President George Vella, on behalf of the Government and people of Malta, paid public tribute to a number of Maltese citizens who distinguish themselves in different fields of endeavour, during an investiture held at the Palace.

From Gozo, Alfred Camilleri Cauchi was awarded Member of the National Order of Merit and Dr Salvina Zrinzo MD, was awarded Officer of the National Order of Merit.

The President appointed seven members to The National Order of Merit. Ten other individuals were awarded the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika.

Nationals of other countries may be conferred with honorary membership of the Order or of the Xirka or awarded the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika on an honorary basis.

In rarer cases the Midalja ghall-Qlubija can be awarded, even posthumously, to a Maltese citizen for an act of exceptional bravery.

These appointments were made by means of a proposal by the Nominations Committee set up in accordance with the Gieh ir-Repubblika Act (Cap. 251) and on the advice of the Prime Minister to the President of Malta.

CHEV. ALFRED CAMILLERI CAUCHI MOMAlfred Camilleri Cauchi, son of artist Comm. Agostino Camilleri, was born in 1943 in Victoria, Gozo. He received his education at St Edward’s College and the Malta School of Art. He then continued furthering his studies at the College of Arts in Edinburgh, Scotland, after being awarded a scholarship by Lady Laycock, the wife of Sir Robert Laycock, Governor of Malta.

He is the author of several papier-mâché, bronze, wood, limestone and marble masterpieces found locally and around the globe.

Various local parish churches boast of his works, including Good Friday statues and altar or ceiling decorations. He is the author of many titular statues, mainly Christ the King, Saint Mary’s Queenship, Saint Augustine and Saint George Preca. The sculptor’s artistic skills and abilities excel in his national busts and monuments, composed to commemorate important historical events like the monument to honour the Republic of Malta, as well as various distinct personalities including Sir Anthony Mamo, Dr Censu Tabone, Prof. Guido de Marco and President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.

While keeping alive the craft of traditional Maltese papier-mâché and spreading it overseas, he gave life again to the craft of carving wooden statues. He participated in various international and local exhibitions, notably those with a philanthropic aim, and even won international artistic competitions.

At the age of twenty-four, Camilleri Cauchi was honoured as Chevalier of Honour by the Spanish Ordine della Real Corona Balearica for sculpting the marble Ta’ Pinu Via Sagra in Gozo. In 1998 he was awarded the Academic Knight of Honour by Italy’s International Academic Order Greci Marino. In 2006, the same Order awarded him the title of Honorary National Advisor.

DR SALVINA ZRINZO UOMDr Salvina Zrinzo MD, FÄ für Radiologie, EDBI was born in Gozo in 1962. She studied medicine at the University of Malta and, between 1987 and 1994, she obtained her training in general and breast radiology at Stadtklinikum Nürnberg in Germany.

She returned to Malta in 1994 and started working as a radiologist at St Luke’s Hospital in Pietà. She was appointed consultant radiologist in 1999 and was Chairperson of the Medical Imaging Department at Mater Dei Hospital between 2011 and 2018.

Her main clinical interest has always been breast imaging including mammography, ultrasound, MRI as well as image-guided biopsies and localisations. Dr Zrinzo was instrumental in setting up the Malta National Breast Screening Programme, which has been in place since 2009. She is the first radiologist in Malta who obtained the EDBI diploma (the European specialist Diploma in Breast Imaging) and is part of the team who runs the breast screening and symptomatic breast services in Malta.

Dr Zrinzo is one of the founding members of the Malta Society of Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physicians (MARNMP) and is a member of the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI), the European Society for Radiology (ESR) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Photos: DOI

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