AKEL on the Chairman of the Board of the State Health Services Organization (OKYY) Sir David Nicholson’s interview

Statement by Yiorgos Loucaides, AKEL Political Bureau member and AKEL-Left-New Parliamentary Representative statement on

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 28th December 2017, Nicosia

The newly appointed Chairman of the Board of the State Health Services Organization (OKYY) Sir David Nicholson in an interview he gave yesterday commented on many and important issues which we as AKEL welcome. We note as particularly positive his assessment that the most appropriate for Cyprus is the single-payer insurance system. Furthermore, we believe his point that strong political will is demanded for the implementation of a National Health Scheme is correct. He understood the unanimous decision on the NHS approved by the House of Representatives as such.

Obviously, Mr. Nicholson needs to be more fully informed on this specific issue because many times looks deceive. Only in this way will he be properly prepared to tackle more effectively the ongoing undermining of the reform of the health system by big private interests and those circles and forces who in the past years have given political cover to the promotion of their interests, namely Nicos Anastasiades, Nicolas Papadopoulos and DISY President Averof Neophytou.

They may have temporarily been forced to proceed to a pre-election maneuver, however after the election and regardless of the election outcome, from a position of strength, will continue to engineer the cancellation of the reform in the health system and the undermining of the public health system which they brought to the brink of collapse by depriving it of 500 million Euros in recent years.

Only a government led by Stavros Malas ensures that our country will at long last have a national health system and that will offer dignified health care for all, and not a big profits for the privileged few.