The government must respect people’s sacrifices by effectively strengthening the public health system
Statement by AKEL-Left-New Forces Parliamentary Representative Giorgos Loucaides
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 12th January 2021, Nicosia
Yesterday’s serious accusations made by the nurses’ union PASYNO, as well as the doctor’s union PASYKI, reaffirm what AKEL and many others have been denouncing about the problematic management by the Health Ministry and state health services OKYPY with regards the effective preparation of the public health system to confront the pandemic. Understaffing, inadequate staff training, erroneous organization and planning, insufficient equipment and development of infrastructures in all hospitals, are just some of the realities that are being brought to the fore.
Unfortunately, the government ruling force’s inadequacy and incompetence, which is now widely acknowledged, also extends to the incoherent, spasmodic and contradictory restrictive measures that have been taken, as well as to the absence of an overall plan to address the pandemic and to the non-inclusion of all hospitals, inside and outside the National Health Scheme, in the battle against the pandemic.
It is reflected and expressed to a large extent in the data recorded in a relevant European survey, which reveals that Cyprus lags way behind in the table of health expenditure to deal with the pandemic, with our country being below half the European average.
We once again call on the Anastasiades-DISY government to take on its responsibilities. We urge it to respect people’s sacrifices to the detriment of their rights, freedoms and prosperity, starting from the effective strengthening and organization of the public health system, on the basis of the comprehensive proposals which AKEL has promptly submitted on issues relating to health.
