Heavy government responsibilities for public health sector’s problems – AKEL proposes solutions
Statement by Stefanos Stefanou, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 13th June 2016, Nicosia
The indirect but clear admission by the President of the Republic that the situation in the public health sector is dramatic, highlights the severest government responsibilities for the situation afflicting the people.
The setback in the implementation of the General Health Scheme (GHS), the understaffing and lack of personnel, the shortages of supplies and drugs and the longer waiting lists are all the direct result of the austerity policy being imposed by the government and ruling forces in the public health sector.
To rectify the situation, the government and ruling forces must radically change their policies. They must abandon the policy of vicious austerity, postponements, delays and foot-dragging in order to resolutely promote the GHS, but also to address the problems affecting the people.
AKEL, in a letter of its General Secretary, has urged the President of the Republic to call a meeting of the Heads of the Parties to promote the GHS and address the problems.
AKEL has elaborated specific proposals to tackle the problems. Among our proposals we point out the following:
- Immediate tabling and adoption by the House of Representatives of a modernizing legislative framework for the implementation of the GHS as it has been planned and unanimously approved in 2001 through a general social consensus.
- Independence of the Health Insurance Organization (HIO) in order to ensure prudent and competent administration, separation of powers and shielding from political interference in the management of the fund and from phenomena such as non-transparency and corruption.
- Restoration of the level of expenditure for Health to at least the levels that the government had inherited, excluding the funding for sending patients abroad. The charges collected from co-payments at public hospitals and from civil servant’s contributions should be invested back into the public health sector.
- Creation of a strong and independent department at the Ministry of Health, under which all state hospitals will be integrated into and with each of them having full economic self-management.
- Reorganization of public hospitals (administrative, financial and scientific) and full autonomy in decision making.
- Implementation of a structure in hospitals, de-freezing of posts and positions, restoration of temporary casual staff and immediate staffing of all vacant posts.
- Provision of new approved, specialist pharmaceutical products in line with modern and scientific protocols.
- Creation of new clinics – neurology, rheumatology, infectious, Intensive Care Units in all hospitals, trauma, Neuroradiology, interventional radiology. Creation of radio-therapeutic clinics at the Nicosia and Limassol General Hospitals, establishment of a full transplant clinic.
