Cyprus's public healthcare system has big problems right now. This is because the IT systems in the state health organisation, Okypy, are often failing. Also, there is a long delay in creating a national ambulance service. These issues worry doctors and patient groups. They are concerned about the quality of urgent medical care. A sad recent event showed the danger of these problems.
A survey by the Cyprus Medical Association found worrying news. It looked at the IT system for the national health system (GHS). The survey asked 728 doctors about their experiences. Many doctors reported frequent system problems. These included disconnections, errors, and slow speeds. Almost all doctors said the system was unavailable weekly or daily. This unreliability causes delays. Many doctors have to work extra hours.
The plan to create a national ambulance agency is also stuck. Patient groups think this agency is very important. However, Okypy asked to delay the parliamentary discussion. The Federation of Patients’ Associations of Cyprus (Osak) is very unhappy. Osak believes Okypy is delaying the decision on purpose. This has been discussed for about seven years. Currently, patients pay for private transport for non-urgent cases.
A very sad event showed how serious these failures are. A 38-year-old man needed a lung transplant. He was told an organ was available on February 2nd. However, he could not be moved to the hospital in Athens quickly. The Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) said there were tight timeframes. The man's mother was very upset. She said her son could not go out. There was no air ambulance available. The transplant opportunity was lost forever. The Health Minister is now investigating this sad case.