Filenews 2 April 2025 - by Marilena Panayi
At €44.6 million. Cyprus' expenditure for sending patients abroad and the purchase of services from the private sector of Cyprus reached its peak during the year of the harsh pandemic measures, i.e. 2020.
In 2024, the total costs for sending patients abroad reached €31 million, with €8.3 million being paid to national health institutions of European Union member states and €23.2 million to individuals abroad. However, the report does not make any numerical reference to incidents sent to national bodies or individuals. In 2024, €8.4 million was spent on sending patients to the private sector in Cyprus.
During the two years of the pandemic, namely the years 2020 and 2021, €17.6 million and €16.8 million were spent. for sending patients to the private sector in Cyprus.
These are recorded, among other things, in a report by the Audit Service for the Ministry of Health which was published today.
Of course, the results of the Ministry of Health are very encouraging in terms of receipts and payments for the provision of health care within the framework of the EU.
Specifically, the Ministry of Health from 2014 to 2024 received a total of €18.3 million for services offered to European citizens in Cyprus and paid a total of €75,576 to other states for the treatment of Cypriot citizens.
The findings of the Audit Service regarding the payment of sponsorships to various Bodies and Non-Governmental Organizations are important.
"The Ministry of Health, in the years 2022 and 2023, granted grants to 41 and 43 entities respectively in the context of state aid plans for a total amount of €3,809,246 and €3,229,291 for each year".
The Audit Service, among other things, found the "payment of sponsorship to bodies that had received subsidies from other Ministries, even for different actions, deviating from the relevant decision of the Council of Ministers".
Specifically, "during the year 2022, the Ministry of Health granted sponsorships of €1.7 million. to 20 entities that received grants of €4.6 million. from other Ministries, while in 2023 it granted grants of €1.6 million to 21 entities that received grants of €3.8 million. from other Ministries".
In the report of the Audit Service, reference is also made to the payment of sponsorship "to entities that did not submit all the documents required by the project together with the application".
It was identified, among other things, "a grant of sponsorship to an entity that far exceeded the limit of €500,000 for aid every three years, which is set as a maximum limit according to the minor state aid plan." Specifically, it was observed that due to insufficient evaluation by the evaluation committee, the Agency was granted a sponsorship of €70,000, while in 2021 it had received a total of €1.06 million in sponsorships".
Furthermore, it was found that the Ministry of Health paid a state sponsorship of €100,000 to the Federation of Cyprus Patients' Associations, even though not all forms such as the statement of projected revenues and expenditures, a description of actions and audited financial statements required under the circular of the General Accounting Office of the State were submitted.
In addition, "delays in the process of publication of the Scheme for the evaluation of applications as well as the payment of the grants after the expenditures were carried out, circumventing the purpose of the Plan concerning the financing for the payment of the relevant annual expenses".
Finally, the Audit Service points out the "absence of control of the actions of the bodies by the Ministry of Health", which, as noted in the report, results in "granting sponsorships to bodies that do not meet the criteria of the plans".
