Filenews 7 November 2024
The Plenary of the Parliament approved a supplementary budget of the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) for 2024 amounting to €94.3 million, amid criticism of the operation of the GHS and the risk of creating monopolies in the health sector. 29 Members voted in favour, one against, and there was one abstention.
This item includes compensation to the SHSO by €34.3 million. as a result of the HIO's negotiations with the SHSO at the beginning of 2024.
Also included is the increase in inpatient care by €20.0 million due to reduced provision in the initial budget.
It also includes a provision of €20 million for medicines of the Nominative Claims Committee (EDA), which the Ministry of Health continues to approve and pay for and for which it has requested their reimbursement from the HIO, while there is provision for other services amounting to €20 million.
It is noted that the total expenditure of the HIO for the year 2024 is expected to amount to €1,756,960,000.
The total revenues of the HIO for the year 2024 are expected to be increased by €95,160,661, of which €78 million come from contributions.
The additional expenditure of the 2024 supplementary budget is expected to be covered by the increased revenues of the year, resulting in the 2024 budget remaining in surplus without burdening the reserve.
DISY MP Charalambos Pazaros said that the number, although large, concerns a budget for inpatient care, concerns public health and must be released. As he said, "we cannot play with the health of citizens". He added that DISY wanted and was able to implement the GHS together with the help of the parties and stressed that they are ready to discuss mistakes, omissions and distortions and correct them and called on all MPs to do so.
AKEL MP George Loucaides said that the HIO has a very high budget compared to the amount requested. He added that the HIO continues to maintain security surpluses, without raising the possibility of increasing contributions. He noted that this money is necessary to continue the smooth operation of the HIO and continue to offer its services to patients.
He also expressed concern that in the sensitive health sector there is now an overconcentration of specific foreign investment funds, something about which the HIO is also concerned.
He also said that based on the report, the HIO cannot accurately predict its revenues since it has to do with the course of the economy
DIKO MP Chrysis Pantelides said that €94 million constitutes 5% of the total HIO budget. He added that €34 million of this concerns the Cyprus Health Organization and support to state hospitals, at a time when there is a need to support them in all respects, while there is a provision for no more supplementary budget.
DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvides expressed his support for the NHS and said that some of the budget money simply changes its pocket and goes to the Ministry of Health or state hospitals.
DIKO MP Zacharias Koulias said that out of the €500 million, the pre-GHS budget of the Ministry of Health reached almost €2 billion. And with that money, it all "should have been four doctors on top of him when someone sneezed."
MP Alekos Tryfonidis called for the creation of an internal audit at the HIO to address "much that is being done and not seen and much that is seen and should not be done". He added that once the people give this money, there should be an improvement in health services and waiting times for doctors.
Nicosia MP Alexandra Attalidou said that in this particular case there is a "soft budget syndrome", i.e. because a sector is very important, the one who manages it and does not do his job well, comes asking for extra money. He expressed the view that this should end and be better managed.
In his intervention, individual socialist MP Kostis Efstathiou, expressed his disagreement with the supplementary budget, saying characteristically "I wish I had four votes to vote against". As he said, just the figure of €95 million. It should cause awe and terror in Parliament, while the state haggles and cuts right and left various aids to those in need.
Limassol MP Andreas Themistocleous said that the GHS is here to stay and must stay and that it is one of the greatest national-popular achievements. He added that in this area too, the private sector should act as complements and not substitutes. He expressed concern that if the same situation continues without radical breakthroughs, at the end of the day, large hospitals in the state will fall into disrepute or into private hands. He said that a large part of the work done by state hospitals has now fallen into the hands of private individuals and warned that sooner or later the health sector of Cyprus will fall to private companies that will have no control over them, while they will regulate prices themselves.
CNA
