Investments in public hospitals and the organization’s development program were discussed during today’s scheduled meeting between the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the State Health Services Organizationand Cyprus Stavridis, and the President of the Republic, Nicos Christodoulides.

In remarks to CNA following the meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the State Health Services Organization, Charalambos Charilaou, described the program as very ambitious, aimed at upgrading all public hospitals.

“There are quite a few projects currently underway, and we believe they will be completed on schedule,” he said, noting that “the government has invested 126 million for the complete upgrade of public hospitals, and the projects are proceeding as planned,” he stated.

He also added that several of the projects that have been announced have already been completed and are now operational, and work on some of them will be completed in the coming months.

He noted that the projects underway at Makareio Hospital—specifically the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the Pediatric Nephrology Clinic, and the Genetic Diseases Clinic are expected to be completed in the coming months. At Limassol General Hospital, the Intensive Care Unit, the Nephrology Clinic, and the Hemodialysis Unit are nearing completion.

As for Nicosia General Hospital, the second phase of the TAEP expansion, the Neurology Clinic, and the Stroke Unit.

OKYPY Measures to Relieve Congestion at Athalassa Hospital

Regarding Athalassa Hospital, P. Charilaou stated that from the very first day it assumed management of the hospitals, the State Health Services Organization recognized the need to create a new, modern mental health center that would meet the public’s expectations, while also providing decent conditions of care for patients and decent working conditions for employees.

“It is for this reason that, with the help of the government, she proceeded with the implementation of Phase 1, and the feasibility study for Phases 2 and 3 is currently being finalized.” As he said, once it is completed, discussions will begin with all the relevant ministries.

In response to a comment that this is a process that will take time, Mr. Charilaou stated that “we are at the end of the process and believe that the project is ready to move forward immediately; according to our own assessments, the Ministry of Finance is supportive.” He emphasized that there has been no opposition from the government to the creation of such a facility, which will greatly benefit mental health.

When asked about the measures currently being taken regarding overcrowding at Athalassa Hospital, he noted that various steps had been taken to accommodate patients because the facilities were deemed structurally unsafe, “they were abandoned, and various measures were taken to accommodate the patients.”

He added that the organization immediately proceeded to transfer some patients to the old Phase A facilities and, at the same time, set up two sheltered shelters, one in Latsia and one at the Christos Stelios Ioannou Foundation, with a total capacity of 22 beds (10 in Latsia and 12 at the Christos Stelios Ioannou Foundation).

He also stated that eight additional semi-intensive care beds have been established in the Psychiatric Wing of Limassol General Hospital. He noted that “the organization acknowledges that even after the measures it has taken, there has been an increased influx of patients recently at Athalassa Hospital, where various problems are arising”.

He added that after numerous meetings, with all relevant stakeholders, it has implemented new measures, which include collaborating with external facilities to accommodate patients as the first measure. As a second measure, he mentioned increasing the number of beds for mandatory hospitalization in Limassol from eight to ten and, additionally, increasing the number of beds in the psychiatric ward of Nicosia Generalfor voluntary admissions from 14 to 20.

He noted that this measure secures approximately 15–20 new beds. “We hope that this will further alleviate overcrowding at the hospital,” he said, adding that OKYPY is simultaneously exploring other solutions that will help relieve the hospital’s overcrowding. He also noted that the overcrowding is due to an increased influx of admissions based on court orders for compulsory hospitalization.

She clarified that the issue of Athalassa Hospital was not discussed at the meeting with the President, which, as she noted, focused on building investments in public hospitals, totaling 126 million, which are expected to be fully completed by June 2027.