The General Health Scheme comes late and with neoliberal philosophy

 

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 28th March 2015, Nicosia

 

Bearing in mind all the regressions and the government’s veiled attempts to promote the interests of specific insurance companies, we are not at all surprised by the Ministry of Health’s efforts to spread confusion, seek scapegoats, shift its own responsibilities and attribute them to the Health Safety Agency.

So far the government has suspended the application of the General Health Scheme (GHS) three times and has unilaterally changed its content and philosophy as many times.

However, yesterday’s statement made by the Minister of Health that the Government has the political will to implement the GHS came as a surprise. We urge the Minister of Health and the Government to realize that they have been in power for more than two years now and any apportioning of the blame or assumption of responsibilities should have been theirs. We call on them to acknowledge the health sector’s adverse and tragic situation and the need to implement the GHS.

If indeed they do have the political will and want to implement the GHS then they should immediately proceed without any backtracking to fulfill in practice the GHS, as it had been unanimously approved in 2001 and subsequently adopted in the Committee on Health Affairs of the House of Representatives and through social consensus. AKEL declares that it will support any changes to the legislation that would enhance transparency and social control. Nevertheless, we will not stop denouncing the attempts to privatize health to certain circles and interests.

AKEL urges the Minister of Health to stop the communication games, assume his own responsibilities and proceed to practical steps by providing real support to the Health Insurance Organization (HIO) for the implementation of the GHS.