A total of 932 out of 1,304 requests to refer GESY beneficiaries abroad were approved during the first year that the Health Insurance Organization (OAY) administered the process, while 101 air evacuations were carried out, according to the Organization’s report.
In a statement issued on Friday, the OAY reported that of the requests approved during the first year of the process, 24 involved life-threatening cases and 86 were emergencies. Of the 101 air evacuations to European countries and Israel, 48 involved routine cases, 30 were urgent, and 23 were life-threatening.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The OAY assumed responsibility for managing patient transfers abroad on October 2, 2025, and this applies to cases where the required health care services are not available in Cyprus through the National Health System (GeSY) within the prescribed timeframe.
According to the Organization’s data, the average time from the submission of the request to admission to a hospital abroad is 1.5 days for life-threatening cases, five days for urgent cases, and 22 days for routine cases.
Most referrals during the first 12 months were to hospitals in Germany (28.4%), Greece (21.2%), the United Kingdom (18.5%), and Israel (11.7%). The cases with the highest number of referrals abroad were hematology cases, followed by oncology, pediatrics, orthopedics, and ophthalmology.
The OAY views the implementation of the process positively, particularly regarding the speed of case management and collaboration with expert teams and hospitals abroad.
Any registered beneficiary of the General Healthcare System (GESY) has the right to submit a request, provided that it concerns services included in the System’s benefits package, but which cannot be provided in Cyprus within the prescribed timeframe.
Requests are evaluated by specialized teams of experts, who submit documented recommendations to the Organization for a final decision. The decision is communicated to the applicant through the GESY Information System.
The Agency states that it systematically monitors the process and has already issued guidelines to providers, with the aim of improving the quality and completeness of applications, as well as better informing beneficiaries about the outcome of their applications. At the same time, it has expanded its network of partners for air medical evacuations.
According to the OAU, the goal for the near future is to further reduce dispatch times, strengthening scientific evaluation, and improving coordination with treating physicians and hospitals abroad, with an emphasis on the timely management of emergencies and life-threatening cases.
