Hospitals were not strengthened and have kept going thanks to health worker’s self-sacrifice

Statement by the AKEL Nicosia/Kyrenia District Secretary and MP Christos Christofides

4 August 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

We once again express our great concern about the situation in our hospitals as a result of the overcrowding observed in intensive therapy and care units.

Unfortunately, despite the long-standing warnings issued by AKEL and health workers themselves, the Ministry of Health and the leadership of the state health services (OKYPY) have not taken those measures to strengthen public hospitals in view of the new wave of the pandemic.

More specifically:

● The number of necessary staff has not increased with the hiring of doctors, nurses and other support staff so that there would be a corresponding increase in the number of beds.

● There was no broader financial support provided for public hospitals to enable them to cope in these difficult conditions, nor for logistical infrastructure and the necessary equipment and consumables in these very difficult circumstances.

We would like to express once again our appreciation and gratitude to the doctors, nurses and other support staff, who with their dedication and contribution, often administrative but also in decision-making, are the main reason why our hospitals are still holding up.

We call on the Ministry of Health and the leadership of OKYPY even belatedly to provide the necessary support to public hospitals so that they will be able to fulfill their very important role