The Cyprus Health Ministry is taking action against a private hospital in Nicosia. The ministry may suspend the hospital's operating license. This is because of serious problems with having enough nurses. Private healthcare providers in Cyprus are unhappy. They say the government is making a big problem worse. The government has not solved this problem before.
The Employers and Industrialists’ Federation (Oev) represents private hospitals. Oev has warned that punishing hospitals is dangerous. It could make the whole healthcare system unstable. This problem started after a recent check at a private hospital. Health officials found many missing nurses. One ward was missing a nurse at night. Another ward had six fewer nurses than needed.
The hospital also did not show some important papers. These papers were for ward assistants. The ministry sent a formal notice on November 28. This started a process that could lead to license suspension. The hospital has 15 days to explain itself. They must talk to the Advisory Committee for Private Hospitals.
Oev believes the ministry is blaming the wrong people. They say private hospitals told the ministry about the nurse shortage earlier. This shortage is happening all over the country. Oev thinks it is the ministry’s job to fix it. They accuse the ministry of moving blame to hospitals. The ministry knew about this problem for a long time.
Oev said the situation is very difficult. They said hospitals are in danger. This can happen even if they only need one or two more nurses. This fight shows a big difference in how Cyprus manages healthcare. Private hospitals are important for the Gesy system. They say the ministry has no good plans to get more nurses. They have not made it easy to hire nurses from other countries.
Oev thinks the ministry is using a bad method. They are punishing one hospital for a problem that affects everyone. This could harm patient care. The hospital in Nicosia must now give a strong reason to keep its license. Other private hospitals are also worried. They fear more hospitals could face similar actions. This creates uncertainty and could affect future plans.
This situation is a critical moment for Cyprus healthcare. The ministry says it must ensure safety rules are followed. However, the private sector warns that threatening closures is not the answer. It does not fix the main problem: not enough nurses. This could damage patient care. We will see if the government and private sector can work together. They need to find solutions for the future.