The government has in effect buried the National Health Scheme

 

Statement of Stefanos Stefanou, member of AKEL Political Bureau

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 26th January 2016, Nicosia

The government’s much-publicized “mini-National Health Scheme”, is nothing more than an additional tax for hospitals. The government’s intention is neither a mini, nor a maxi NHS: it is about the NHS’ burial.

Citizens, as a result of the government’s sudden and without consultation proposal, will be called upon once again to dip into their pockets, but will not however have access to universal, quality health care because the health system will not be able to provide it. Citizens will be paying, but will remain without health care and be exposed.

This is not only our conclusion; it is also the conclusion of professional health agencies and bodies, which yesterday publicly expressed their opposition to the Anastasiades-DISY government’s intentions.

At a time when a large section of society is suffering from the economic crisis, the government and ruling forces, instead of pressing ahead with determination towards the implementation of the comprehensive planning for the National Health Scheme which they had inherited from the previous government, after three years of regressions, are trying to involve private insurance companies inside the system, in reality they are abolishing the NHS.

With the austerity policies they are implementing, the government and ruling forces have dismantled public health which cannot meet society’s needs. The shortcomings and long waiting lists are affect citizens.

This fact however doesn’t move the government. What interests them is obviously to serve large private interests in the health sector, rather than citizens and society.