Statements by the General Secretary of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou at the end of the meeting with the Pancyprian Government Doctors Trade Union (PASYKI)

 

3 January 2024, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

I welcome the delegation of the Pancyprian Government Doctors Trade Union (PASYKI) headed by its President, Sotiris Kouma.

We had the opportunity to discuss some very topical and burning – I would say – issues during the meeting, concerning Public Health, the National Health Scheme (GESY) and of course the role of Public Hospitals, where Government Doctors serve.

We have agreed on the perception that AKEL has and at every opportunity promotes the policy that public hospitals constitute the backbone of the GESY and the health system in general. It is for this reason that there is an urgent need that practical and substantial support for public hospitals is provided. This issue becomes even more topical bearing in mind that this year the period of the state’s support towards public hospitals is coming to an end.

AKEL’s position is that the period of financial support should be extended. First of all, because it was the previous government’s fault that delayed the whole process of autonomy and the adoption of a series of measures and procedures to enable Public Hospitals to operate in competitive conditions and, in addition, Public Hospitals had actually assumed the decisive burden of dealing with the pandemic.

Therefore, taking into account this period, the period of financial support towards Public Hospitals should be extended, and at the same time the necessary decisions should be taken, the necessary procedures should be followed so that Public Hospitals can operate in competitive conditions.

And to be more precise, it is imperative that a capacity plan is at long last elaborated, to define the needs that exist in the health sector in Cyprus, to adopt protocols and criteria so that competition can operate, which until now I would say is only in name, because in many cases Public Hospitals operate under unfavourable conditions in relation to competition.

The second thing that needs to be done is to support – in addition to the capacity plan – the central planning on the part of the organisation that is responsible for the public hospitals, which is the state health services OKYPY. We had asked OCYPF to find out what this central planning is; unfortunately, we are in the dark. But either way, this central planning has to be in place, we need to see the roadmap so that we can make the necessary changes and what needs to be done so that we can see in what direction they are heading.

I should also say that both government doctors and the staff in Public Hospitals in general should be supported in their efforts within Public Hospitals. These are issues that we will look at with the PASYCI with whom we have arranged a meeting because our aim, in addition to the meeting with PASYCI – which was requested by PASYKI and fell under our own effort – is to open a dialogue with all stakeholders and protagonists in the Public Health sector. to see how the necessary decisions will now be taken to ensure that issues and problems that have arisen in the implementation of a very important social achievement such as the GESY are resolved, to fill gaps and strengthen the services that Public Hospitals can and should offer.

I would like to say that AKEL has held a Press Conference on all these matters and at the same time on 21/11/2023 we have sent a letter to the President of the Republic asking for his intervention on a number of critical issues concerning the present and future of Public Hospitals and, more broadly, the GESY and the Public Health sector.

We want through these contacts to exchange views, to convey our own thoughts, opinions and approaches, to listen to the concerns, opinions and proposals of the protagonists, such as today with the government doctors, in order to push for timely, adequate and targeted solutions and at the same time when and where the Cypriot parliament can, with our intervention, raise the issues in parliament.

It was a very useful and constructive meeting. I would like to thank both the President and the members of the PASYKI delegation for this meeting. We agreed that we shall be in touch.