Filenews 22 February 2025 - by Marilena Panayi
An end to the renewal of licenses to practice the profession with simple subscription for doctors in Cyprus. The bill approved by the Council of Ministers and making its way to Parliament provides, among other things, for the continuous training of doctors since, according to its relevant provisions, for the renewal of the license to practice the profession, doctors will be obliged to present a specific number of training units (points) each year. The requirements and conditions that will be set and will apply to all doctors will be included in regulations that will be prepared and implemented by the Medical Corps Council after the legislation is passed.
In addition to the provisions concerning the issuance of licenses to practice the profession for doctors, the bill includes provisions concerning the operation of the Disciplinary Council of the Pancyprian Medical Association, an increase in the penalties that will be imposed in cases of doctors who are judged to have committed disciplinary offenses, etc. The provision that provides for the publication of the decisions of the Disciplinary Board is important, With respect to the personal data of doctors but with full transparency in cases where the penalty to be imposed will be the suspension of the license to practice.
"What we need to emphasize and clarify because, from time to time, various things are said and written," the legal advisor of the Pancyprian Medical Association, Thanasis Korfiotis, told "F", "is that the amendment of the law on doctors is made at the initiative of the PIS itself". In fact, as he said, "the Association had pushed hard enough to get to where we are at the moment. There were discussions and meetings with both the Legal Service and the Minister of Health, we had a very good cooperation and so the bill is ready now to be submitted to Parliament."
Also, "again because various things are written and said from time to time, it would be good to point out the fact that the Disciplinary Board of the PIS, as well as other disciplinary bodies of other professional groups, are governed by laws that are applied very strictly regarding the rights of the accused persons. Recently, it has become known that a doctor has been arrested for a criminal offence and some are complaining that he is still practicing medicine. Just because he was arrested does not mean he is guilty. We also had the example of a doctor, at the time of the pandemic, who became a whole story and in the end was acquitted by the Court. So for some things we all have to be generally careful."
The amendment currently being promoted "simplifies the procedure for cases that we describe as 'simple'. For example, a doctor made a post on the internet the content of which is considered to possibly constitute a disciplinary offence. With the amendment, the Disciplinary Board will be able to proceed with an examination of the doctor's positions without the need for a full hearing with witnesses, etc. The doctor will be informed, the doctor will submit his own positions in writing and the Disciplinary Board will decide."
Furthermore, "the bill includes provisions concerning the publication of the decisions of the Disciplinary Board. Always with the protection of the doctor's personal data. However, in cases where the decision will concern the suspension of the license to practice the profession, the name of the doctor will be disclosed."
Particularly important, as Mr. Korfiotis said, are the provisions that "allow the PIS to examine cases involving non-Cypriot doctors. Now in Cyprus we have doctors, mainly from Greece, but also other European citizens who come and practice medicine here. Based on the amendment, these doctors will have to act and behave on the basis of the regulations applicable to Cypriot doctors. We have had some cases in the recent past and the Disciplinary Office of the PIS was not in a position to examine any case, because, among other things, it could not have all the necessary information at its disposal."
Another, 'very important change' concerns the way in which doctors' licences are renewed. That is, provisions are introduced under which doctors will secure their license. They will be required to present a certain number of units resulting from training. We all understand that a doctor who completed his specialty a few decades ago certainly needs to be trained in modern methods, etc. The data is not the same today as it was ten years ago, and it will not be the same in the next ten years. This procedure will be determined by regulations prepared by the SIS."
Finally, the bill increases the financial penalties from €5,000 today to €50,000.
The PIS cannot act as the Police
"It must be understood by everyone that the PIS is not a police. It cannot conduct investigations in the way the police do. That is, if someone is arrested for a criminal offence, the Police can request the lifting of their telephone confidentiality, examine their computer, etc. The PIS cannot do that. Also, as a professional disciplinary body, the Council, when a doctor is convicted by a court, takes into account what is included in the court decision. And certainly a criminal offense may have nothing to do with medicine, despite the fact that the law also provides for behaviour, ethics and ethics."
"In conclusion, we must point out one more thing because we often observe that all doctors in Cyprus are unjustly targeted. In a group of 5,000 people there are certainly some who will commit both criminal and disciplinary offences. This happens throughout society, in every professional group. We cannot, in any case, target the entire medical world of Cyprus and flatten them all, and we cannot always and for everything blame the PIS. I repeat that the amendment of the legislation in the way we have analyzed was made after an initiative and pressure from the PIS itself".
