Nikos Christodoulidis spoke about his personal experience—which he had on two occasions after his election as President of the Republic— Nikos Christodoulides spoke at the inauguration ceremony for the upgraded and renovated Accident and Emergency Department of the Nicosia General HospitalNicosia General Hospital.
In his remarks, he said, “Since the day I took office, there have been two occasions when this was necessary; I hope there won’t be another— one very recently, to visit, without any prior notice, the Emergency Department of Nicosia General Hospital and, following all the standard procedures that every citizen follows—in fact, the last time there was a short wait, and some patients told me to go ahead, but I told them no, we’ll wait—and I must say that on those two occasions when I had to bring my daughters in, the response was exemplary. And I want to thank you warmly for that response.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Referring to the changes made to the TAEP, he noted that, with an investment of 4.1 million euros, the conditions for receiving and caring for patients have been substantially upgraded, and the demanding work of the staff has been made easier.
“Our fellow citizens who come to the Emergency Department need to be examined promptly, informed of their condition, and receive appropriate care. And often they arrive here feeling fearful and anxious about what has happened. Therefore, both the care they receive and the way we treat them are of particular importance.”
The President of the Republic highlighted two changes that “address needs of particular importance in the daily life of a patient in the Intensive Care Unit.”
“The first concerns the special information area for relatives. It is very important for those waiting for updates about a loved one to be able to speak with the doctor in an appropriate setting, to ask questions, and to be informed about what is happening. After all, this capability is part of the care that a modern hospital is obligated to provide. The second concerns the staff break room. We all expect emergency room staff to be constantly on alert, to make difficult decisions, and to perform under intense pressure. We therefore have an obligation to ensure their own working conditions are adequate and to create the appropriate environment, which, at the end of the day, also helps to further enhance their efficiency.”
Read the rest of the speech:
“I have said this many times in public, but what matters most is that we demonstrate through our actions that Health and Education are our top priorities; sectors we view as investments; decisions regarding these sectors are not purely financial in nature. This clear stance of ours is reflected in the budget, in our decisions, and in the implementation of specific projects.
Today’s upgrade is part of this effort, which concerns all public hospitals; we truly believe in the potential of our public hospitals in all districts. To mention just a few:
Here at Nicosia General Hospital, the expansion of the 4th floor—housing the Neurology Clinic and the Stroke Unit—has been completed, and the next goal is to establish an Infectious Diseases Unit.
At Makarios Hospital, an extensive renovation program is underway, which includes a new pediatric intensive care unit, renovations in the Gynecology and Pediatric Surgery Clinics, as well as in the Pediatric Wards. At the same time, work is continuing on the construction of a new floor to house the Thalassemia Center and the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while plans are moving forward for the creation of a new, state-of-the-art Pediatric Oncology Clinic, with significant contributions from the private sector.
At Limassol General Hospital, the establishment and expansion of Hemodialysis Units have been completed, while the creation of a new Intensive Care Unit is underway. At the same time, plans are underway to establish an Infectious Diseases Unit and a Day Care Unit, as well as to upgrade and expand the Emergency Department.
At Larnaca General Hospital, renovation of the Radiology Department is underway, while at Paphos General Hospital, general improvement work is being completed, and plans are underway to convert the second floor of the new building into an Oncology Department and a facility for the care of patients with thalassemia.
The same plan includes the new hospital in Polis Chrysochous, a 17 million euro investment, the second phase of mental health projects, and the renovation and upgrade of Troodos Hospital.
Our plan also covers the Famagusta General Hospital, where energy efficiency and construction upgrades are currently underway.
Each project addresses the specific needs of patients and healthcare professionals. And allow me, in speaking of healthcare professionals, to address all of you who serve in the TAEP: doctors, nurses, paramedics, reception staff, housekeeping staff, and technical services personnel—everyone has a role to play in this great effort. I want to thank you for your work, for your professionalism, and for the fact that you continued to care for patients without grumbling or complaining while the work was being carried out—despite the additional, I realize, difficulties.
All of you know firsthand—you know better than anyone else—what the Department needs to function even better. That is why—and because our efforts do not end with today’s ceremony—we are here to hear what else needs to be done in the field of health care. For us, this is an investment and has no financial dimension whatsoever.
The same applies to patients; as you know far better than we do; we have been working continuously with OSAC from the very beginning to upgrade health services, as well as with the Pan-Cyprian Medical Association.
Many people and agencies collaborated to complete this project, and I would like to thank them.
The Minister of Health and his staff, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of OKYPY, Marinos Kallis; the General Executive Director, Kypros Stavridis; the members of the Board of Directors; and the Organization’s staff.
I would also like to publicly acknowledge the contribution of the European Union through its co-financing of the project under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. As part of our work on the new co-funded programs, which will exceed 3.5 billion euros and will be decided by the Council of Ministers in September 2027—which pertain to the next programming period—so that we can begin immediately —the health sector is high on our list of priorities. Therefore, whatever specific proposals there may be, we are here to examine them with an open mind.
I’ll conclude by saying that citizens who need TAEP services rightly expect us to have created all the necessary conditions, so that we can respond quickly, effectively, and in an appropriate setting.
They expect suitable facilities, proper organization, and professionals who have the means to help them.
This simple and justified need defines our priorities. And we have a responsibility to meet those needs. And I am truly glad that here at the Nicosia TAEP, citizens find exactly what they expect.”
