Filenews 13 November 2021 - by Vassos Vassiliou
In about two years, 187,785 MRI scans were carried out, which raises suspicions among MPs and others as to whether some of them were indeed required to be done or whether it is an abuse of the GHS, since the dates coincide with the start of operation of the system. However, there is growing concern about the ease with which patients are deported to these tests, but also about the ease with which citizens resort to them.
The above number is recorded in response to a question by the Minister of Health Michalis Hadjipantelas to a question by the President of the Ecologists, Charalambos Theopemptou. MRI scans cover the period from June 1, 2019 to August 24, 2021.
The first phase of the GHS's implementation provided for the provision of healthcare services by personal and specialist doctors, pharmacists and laboratories as of June 1, 2019. Based on the numbers of MRI scans and the fact that they were performed within 26 months, it appears that every month 7,222 MRI scans were performed. If it is also considered that the month has 22 working days, then 328 MRI scans were performed per day.
The data cited by the Minister of Health regarding the 187,785 MRI scans come from the Health Insurance Organisation (OSO), which also informs the Parliament that as of September 3, 2021, the number of registered beneficiaries in the GHS IT system was 904,700. At the same time, the same answer states that the number of registered centres carrying out MRI examinations in the GHS on September 3, 2021, was 20 (providers / radiodiagnostic centres).
Regarding the existence of a monitoring and control system to avoid abuse, the Health Insurance Organization informs Mr. Theopemptou, that the Organization monitors the performance of medical operations, including MRI through the IT System.
More specifically, for the imaging examinations, the following are applied, among others:
► Automated checks with rules concerning combinations of parameters in the computer system which prohibit specific combinations. These include restrictions on referrals for examinations based on the specialty of the referring doctor.
► Daily sample checks on requirements.
► Preparation of reports through which trends and behaviours are detected for which further investigation is carried out by the Health Insurance Organisation.
