Selling-off health sector to private interests will face AKEL’s strong resistance

Statement by Stavros Evagorou, Deputy Parliamentary Spokesperson of AKEL-Left-New Forces

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 7th May 2014, Nicosia

We are following the government bypassing institutions, ignoring laws, being indifferent to social dialogue and imposing a blackout on information about what is going on, being negotiated and what it intends to do on the crucial issue of Health. It is unilaterally and illegally trying to remove the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) from the planning and implementation of the General Health Scheme (GHS), as well as attempting to change and undermine the content of the GHS. By its own admission, it is scheming behind closed doors to promote a different GHS, bypassing the political parties, workers’ trade unions, the Pancyprian Council of Doctors and all the other agencies that make up our country’s medical structure and at the same time ignoring the content and results of the social dialogue which took place previously. However, it is mostly indifferent to the interests of the people and patients and instead of focusing its efforts on correcting and improving the situation in the health sector which by their own admission is near to collapsing, they are devoting all their negotiating and other efforts towards serving private interests. This time, however, they cannot hide behind the Troika. AKEL, as a party based on and guided by principles, will support any efforts to support hospitals and the implementation of the GHS as it had been agreed. However, we will not consent and will resist with all our strength any efforts attempts to destroy and sell-off the health sector to any interests.