Cypriot students lead Europe in e-cigarette and hookah use
Cypriot students rank first in Europe for e-cigarette and hookah use, with 4.3 per cent reporting daily consumption – well above the European average of 3.1 per cent. According to the latest results...
View ArticleOur View: High time a minister stopped pandering to the Pasyki bullies
Health Minister Michael Damianos should be congratulated for ignoring the reactionary pressure of the government doctors’ union Pasyki and going ahead with the submission of the bill that would...
View ArticleHealth minister pledges rare disease strategy
An estimated 60,000 people in Cyprus suffer from rare diseases, Health Minister Michael Damianos said on Friday. He pledged that the ministry would move methodically to establish a comprehensive...
View ArticleHealth minister to travel to Brussels
Health Minister Michael Damianos is set to meet with European officials in Brussels as part of preparations for Cyprus’ upcoming presidency of the EU Council in 2026. According to a health ministry...
View ArticleMPs sound alarm on state hospitals
An MP on Thursday demanded the resignation of the board of directors of the state health services organisation (Okypy), deeming them responsible for the organisation’s spiraling deficits and waste. The...
View ArticleNicosia general hospital emergency department expansion begins Monday
Works to upgrade and extend the emergency department at the Nicosia general hospital will begin on Monday, the state health services organisation (Okypy) said. In a statement on Friday, Okypy said the...
View ArticleNurses’ union warns of strikes over staffing shortages
Six per cent of staff in state hospitals are on long-term leave due to sickness, pregnancy and parental leave, the nursing staff branch of trade union Pasydy said on Thursday. The union has called for...
View ArticleGesy ‘loophole’ on prescriptions shut
The House on Thursday passed a law allowing only doctors enrolled with the general health system (Gesy) to issue prescriptions for medicines covered by the system. The law – a government bill...
View ArticleMajor upgrade works begin at Archbishop Makarios III hospital
The state health services organisation (Okypy) has marked today as a milestone as major upgrade works commence at Archbishop Makarios III hospital, in Nicosia. The project aims to enhance healthcare...
View ArticleBill to grant legal status to paramedics by end of May
A bill which will make paramedics a legally protected profession will be submitted to a parliamentary plenary session for a vote by the end of May, the House health committee decided on Thursday....
View ArticleCross-border digital health services near launch in Cyprus
The cross-border digital health services are in the final stage of implementation, Constantinos Pattichis, president of the National e-Health Authority, confirmed on Friday. The first phase will...
View ArticleCyprus must future-proof healthcare, minister says
Cyprus must invest in a healthcare system that can respond in real time to emerging challenges, Health Minister Michael Damianos said on Thursday, at the Cyprus diaspora forum. Speaking at a panel on...
View ArticleMPs demand urgent action on cancer drug delays
The House health committee on Thursday called for an emergency session to examine obstacles in the approval process for oncology drugs, formally registering the issue on its agenda. The move comes amid...
View ArticleHospital upgrade delayed six months, MPs furious over Okypy no-show
Planned expansion and upgrade works at the neonatal intensive care unit of Makarios hospital have been pushed back by about six months, enraged MPs heard on Thursday. Lawmakers were also irked by the...
View ArticleObesity: A silent enemy we can overcome
By Charalambos Charalambous In classrooms, parks, offices and even around the family dinner table, the signs are becoming harder to ignore. As an educator, a scientist of human physical health, and a...
View ArticleGovt pledges estimated €70m to cover Okypy’s deficits
The government on Wednesday pledged that it would cover the state health services organisation (Okypy)’s financial deficits until the end of next year, with the deficits expected to reach around €70...
View ArticleGesy marks six years with over a million beneficiaries and 42 million doctor...
In its six years of operation, Cyprus’ national health system, Gesy, has registered over a million beneficiaries and logged more than 21 million visits to general practitioners and roughly the same...
View ArticleCyprus launches first community PrEP support centre
The Aids Solidarity Movement on Thursday announced the launch of Cyprus’ first support centre for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medication that significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection....
View ArticleOncology centre staff stage protest over dismissal
Staff at the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Centre staged a one-hour work stoppage on Friday, from 10am to 11am, demanding the reinstatement of a dismissed colleague. Trade unions Sek and Peo called for...
View ArticleState to continue covering Okypy deficits until end of 2026
MPs on Thursday handed the state health services organisation (Okypy) another lifeline, making the organisation eligible for direct state funding up until the end of 2026. Under the law voted through...
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