Statement of AKEL MP Stella Mishaoulli after the discussion on the Ministry of Health’s 2016 Budget

26th November 2015, House of Representatives, Nicosia

The slight increase in the 2016 Budget of the Ministry of Health cannot fill the gap of 106 million Euros created by the cuts in the Budget over the previous two years. The 6.9% of public expenditure channeled into public health is very low, compared with the average in the EU which is 15.8% and this reflects the quality in the provision of health.

The Minister of Health is unwilling to commit himself to the General Health Scheme (GHS), nor to any timetable and roadmap, or to tabling a Bill in the House of Representatives for discussion. This unfortunately forces us to believe that the implementation of the GHS will be put off indefinitely, resulting in public hospitals collapsing and in only a multi-insurance health scheme being applied. There is nothing substantive in the Budgets showing improvement, reorganization and staffing of public hospitals.

We, as AKEL, will support all efforts of the Minister for the implementation of the GHS which has been planned and agreed by all interested agencies and stakeholders. This GHS will have a single insurance system and be universal for all Cypriot citizens.