Filenews 7 February 2025 - by Dora Christodoulou
In 2004, a small group of people, mainly British permanent residents of the Pafos district, people with kind and philanthropic feelings, realized the lack of Palliative Care in the Pafos district and created the "Hospice of Friends" foundation, with the aim of operating a Palliative Care Centre for cancer patients and other chronically ill fellow human beings.
The "Hospice of Friends" began its operation in April 2006. During the period from 2006 to 2019 it was housed in private hospitals in Pafos and offered palliative care and assistance to almost 2000 cancer patients, and not only. The ethnic distribution of patients was about 70% Cypriots and 30% foreigners, of various nationalities. In 2020, due to the pandemic and the crisis that followed, its operation was suspended.
In the efforts of the Board of Directors for the reopening of the Friends' Hospice, a private spacious mansion in Tala was secured, free of charge, by a philanthropic British couple, for permanent housing of the Centre. The only condition of the donors is that the villa be used exclusively as a Palliative Care Center. The villa is located in the Stephanie area of Tala, in an environment of beauty and tranquility, with wonderful views to the sea, just six kilometers north of the city of Paphos. It was renovated in accordance with the regulations and instructions of the Ministry of Health and all relevant government departments and will soon operate as a Palliative Care Center with six, fully equipped, individual hospital rooms. Spacious, sunny, comfortable, with private bathroom.
Filenews visited today the new palliative care center, along with donors and other contributors to the implementation of the project who expressed the hope that Friends' Hospice will once again become a home of warmth, comfort and love for our fellow cancer patients, a reputation it had acquired before its suspension: To offer a better quality of life to each patient.
The funding for the renovation and operation of the Centre comes entirely from donations, donations, fundraisers, events and from the significant revenues of the Hospice charity shops operating in the Paphos district. There was, in fact, a unique fundraising campaign for this purpose, mainly from permanent British residents of the province, which brought about the renovation of the house and the operation of the Centre for a year. It should also be mentioned the contribution of the community of Cypriots who with significant discounts and free works helped to complete the project.
The Center, with its operation, will be staffed with special medical and hospital staff but also with other professions related to palliative care. It will offer, as it has done in the past, free professional, specialised care and support services to patients with cancer experience. At the same time, special attention will be paid to the psychological, social, emotional and spiritual support not only of patients but also of their families.
Patients with advanced cancer or other end-stage illnesses will be admitted for pain and other symptom management, life extension palliative care, or end-stage care. It will offer all patients peace of mind and tranquility. All patients will be treated with absolute respect for their personal beliefs, lifestyle and culture. We care for and support everyone, regardless of social or economic status, religion and ethnicity.
Our goal, officials said, is to offer patients a comfortable and pleasant environment in which they will feel at home. We work closely with the Cyprus Anticancer Society and its President Dr. Alekos Stamatis, while we also maintain close contacts with the Arodafnousa Palliative Care Centre, a model and first of its kind in Cyprus.
The mansion still bears the name Waugh House in honour of the donors.
Finally, the Center's managers made special reference to the volunteers who are the heart of the institution. They offer, selflessly, in various ways, both to the support and care of patients and their relatives as well as to the smooth operation of the Center and the charity shops. Many services and tasks depend, to a large extent, on volunteers, so we express our warm thanks and innermost gratitude to them. Without them the Foundation would not have been able to function.
