Cyprus Mail 16 November 2022 - by Gina Agapiou
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| President Anastasiades and Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela |
Cyprus health services will get an €80 million revamp through the Cyprus Tomorrow plan which includes the completion of the first phase of the long-awaited new mental hospital.
National health care services have improved in recent years, but there are still many actions needed to create a more effective and modern health care system, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Wednesday in his speech at the second presentation of the government’s €4 billion recovery and resilience scheme Cyprus Tomorrow.
During the event, the president referred to the policies implemented by the state in the last decade in the health sector and announced plans to boost the health system through the scheme.
“Particular emphasis is placed on strengthening public and private hospitals to make them even more competitive and able to cope with any future crises, including the use of smart technologies to handle emergencies effectively,” Anastasiades said.
Makarios children hospital will receive €23 million with the aim of managing all cases for children, while the plan will also fund the first phase of the creation of a new mental health hospital worth €6.8 million.
The facility “is expected to solve the huge and chronic problem of inadequate facilities that currently exist,” Anastasiades said.
He added that dialysis units will be created or expanded in all public hospitals with €6 million, while Limassol and Paphos general hospitals will be upgraded at a cost of €4.7 million.
Innovative information and communication technologies system will be introduced providing for the use of application programming interfaces in the health sector, a project amounting to €11.4 million.
Medical equipment in private hospitals will be replaced with the focus on the purchase of high tech or digital equipment worth €5 million while another €4.5 million will be dedicated to digitise patients’ physical records.
Some €4.3 million will be provided from the plan to create new facilities and introduce modern technology for the blood centre and €3 million to establish a national centre for clinical documentation with the aim of adopting international guidelines, recognised standards and clinical protocols.
Through the plan, generic cross-border eHealth services, worth €1.9 million, will also be developed.
The government understands people’s right “as an obligation of the state,” Anastasiades said, listing implemented and ongoing projects to establish a modern and resilient health system with quality services.
“We sought to create a patient-centred health system, ensuring fair and equal access to quality health services for all. A system that is socially inclusive, rational, functional and sustainable.”
