Filenews 29 September 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
In the field of palliative care, the services of the General Health System are now expanding, since the Health Insurance Organization and the Anticancer Association have already reached an agreement for the inclusion of the "Arodafnousa" Center in the System.
Speaking to "F", the director of the HIO, Andreas Papakonstantinou, said that "the consultations with the largest inpatient care centre for palliative care in Cyprus have been completed and the relevant proposal has already been approved by both the Board of Directors of the Organization and the Board of Directors of Arodafnousa". At the moment, said Mr. Papakonstantinou, "some procedural issues remain unresolved and we believe that these services will also be included in the GHS very soon".
With this development, said Mr. Papakonstantinou, "we are completing yet another pending issue regarding the package of services of the General Health System" and clarified that "the OSO will cover part of the costs of providing services to the Center", underlining that the other services provided by the Anticancer Association will be at the disposal of cancer patients. It is, he added, concluding, "a very specialized centre. This agreement that has been reached with the HIO will ensure that the beds of the Aerodafnousa will all be utilized while today they are using around 15. Within the GHS the number will go up to 25. This means that free of charge, patients will have better access to this centre as well.
Our budget is such that Arodafnousa should make efforts to continue the donations. On her part, the executive director of the Cyprus Anticancer Association, Maria Ioannidou, said in her statements that the inclusion of the Centre in the GHS, "is a recognition of the importance of Palliative Care in the care plan of the patient with cancer, in addition to his treatment". "We are proceeding with the implementation of our plans for the expansion of Arodafnousa services and the operation of the additional 10 rooms created after the recent expansion and renovation of the Center, in order to meet the needs that exist for holistic Palliative Care," he said.
The Cyprus Anticancer Association, he added, "will continue the work it has been doing for the last 50 years, i.e. to be based on the social sensitivity and philanthropy of the Cypriot public and corporate sponsorships, in order to be able to fully cover the expenses of Arodafnousa, but also to continue to offer all its other services without hindrance, all over Cyprus".
"We continue to be committed to our philanthropic work and to offer free relief and support services to cancer patients. All other services of the Anticancer Association offered nationwide will continue to be offered free of charge", he stressed.
