Allocating €61.7 million is a necessary step, but it does not absolve the government of its responsibility for the deterioration of public hospitals

 

14 July 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

AKEL considers the government’s decision to proceed—albeit with a significant delay—with the announcement of projects totalling €61.7 million for public hospitals as a positive step. These are necessary interventions that address the real and urgent needs of patients and healthcare professionals/workers.

This development confirms that the persistent political pressure exerted by AKEL, together with pressure from workers, patients, and society in general, can yield results. It cannot, however, be overlooked that these are projects that the State Health Services Organization (OKYPY) has been asserting for years, without securing the government’s consent or the necessary funding. We therefore expect guaranteed funding, binding timelines and full transparency so that these announcements can be transformed into completed projects without any further delays.

Apart from this specific development, the government’s overall performance in the area of public health remains disappointing. The current situation in public hospitals is the result of long-standing policy choices, made by both the previous and the current government, which have left the public health sector without substantive planning, adequate funding or the necessary preconditions for development.

The country still lacks a comprehensive healthcare roadmap or a comprehensive oncology centre in a public hospital. Mental health care remains underfunded, with unacceptable infrastructures and serious shortages. Critical specialties are understaffed, healthcare professionals are exhausted, frontline departments are operating under suffocating pressure and essential equipment and infrastructure are being delayed.

At the same time, the systematic transfer of services and resources to the private sector is shrinking public hospitals and expanding opportunities for powerful private interests. These are policy choices that are undermining the public health sector and creating real dangers of indirect privatization. Particularly problematic is the absence of any new funding for the Famagusta General Hospital, despite its serious and well-documented needs.

Public hospitals are the backbone and regulating force of the General Healthcare System (GHS). The government owes them stable funding, adequate staffing, and comprehensive strategic planning—not piecemeal and interventions serving communication purposes.

AKEL will continue to exert pressure and oppose any policy that undermines the public character of the health system for the benefit of private interests.