We will resist any policies aimed at dismantling public hospitals and selling them off to the private sector
Statement of the AKEL MP-Left-New Forces Giorgos T. Georgiou after the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Health
24TH September 2020, Nicosia
An issue was discussed on our initiative, which we had tabled with the competent Parliamentary Committee on Health, with regards the problems public hospitals are facing.
The main characteristics are the huge and multiple problems faced by all public hospitals. The understaffing of paramedical and nursing staff, the lack of modern equipment to replace outdated equipment, which need to be repaired every from time to time, as well as the need to expand many buildings such as the Limassol General Hospital, are all critical problems.
Public hospitals are in dire straits and unfortunately their collapse is just around the corner. So, we pose the following question: what has happened to the 100 million Euros allocated for Covid-19? Where were they invested in?
All hospitals are in a critical position and cannot constitute the backbone of the General Health Scheme (GESY). Patients are sending out a cry of despair and agony. Of particular concern is the fact that there is the phenomenon of patients being constantly referred to the private sector for examination and analysis, as clinical laboratories are not supplied with the necessary reagents. For example, in the clinical laboratory of Limassol General Hospital, they have terminated the tests for hormones and prostate and are referring them to the private sector. From the 64,000 analyses that were carried out last year, only 26,000 have been done so far this year. It is normal after all this that the number of visits to public hospitals is falling, with the consequent loss of revenue.
Mainly, the danger of practicing permanent private medicine within the framework of the GESY is looming. We should clarify that it is one thing to talk about cooperation and synergy between the public and private sector and it is another thing to cunningly dismantle the public hospitals for the benefit of the private ones.
The same is occurring in relation to the extensions of public hospitals. As regards the intensive care unit, dialysis and new operating rooms. Especially for Limassol, so far no decision has yet been taken. Medical practice is being performed in containers and corridors.
We urge the government of N. Anastasiades and DISY to assume their political responsibilities. The same must be done by the state health services OKYPY as the owner of public hospitals within the framework of autonomy.
We stress that we will not accept and will resist any policies, practices or logics aimed at the dismantling of public hospitals and selling them off to the private sector, whether locally or abroad.
