The government must support public hospitals to carry out their role as the backbone of the NHS and not just to endure this testing period
Statements by the General Secretary of AKEL A.Kyprianou after meeting a delegation of the State Health Services Organization
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 23rd March 2021, Nicosia
“We had a very meaningful and comprehensive meeting with the President of the Board of OKYPY and the Executive Director during which we discussed the situation in hospitals, the problems that exist, but also the prospects.
The first thing I want to clarify, bearing in mind the problems caused by the pandemic in public hospitals, is that AKEL demands from the government that it extends the period of its support towards public hospitals.
It was agreed that this support would be for a period of 5 years, but the problems that have accumulated due to the pandemic have made the extension of the government’s support to public hospitals imperative. In addition, we discussed the problems that exist in hospitals. We believe that the study being carried out on the organization of hospitals with the creation of the necessary structures, appropriate staffing and corresponding autonomy must proceed speedily so that hospitals will be able to operate more efficiently. AKEL believes there needs to be harmonious cooperation between the Board of Directors of the Organization, the Management and the Executive Directors in the hospitals. Furthermore, we must ensure that the hospitals operate much more efficiently in order to be able to respond to the conditions of intense competition that have been created taking into account all the factors as they have evolved in the field of health in Cyprus.
We shall continue these contacts with the Board and Management of OKYPY so that we can contribute as much as possible with our own reflections in support of public hospitals. I want to make it clear that we have no other choice, OKYPY must succeed in the role it has assumed, that is to say, to support public hospitals to carry out their role as the backbone of the National Health System and not just to endure this testing period that we are going through today as a country, but in general and gradually to upgrade to a very high degree the health services they provide to the people.”
