Filenews 1 August 2025 - by Marilena Panagi
An end to the suffering of thousands of families in Cyprus. The Health Insurance Organization has completed all the necessary procedures and from October, more than 2,000 patients who need oxygen while they are in their homes, and until now their family members were obliged to transport, without any insurance, especially during the summer months with their private cars, oxygen cylinders , will have at their disposal, through the General Health System, concentrators to cover their daily needs.
The HIO, the director of the Organization Athos Tsinonidis, told "F", "has proceeded with all the procedures, the relevant contracts have been signed and the patients will be able to have concentrators available to cover their needs from October".
The oxygen concentrators that will be available through the GHS, said Mr. Tsinonidis, "are aimed at all patients who, due to health problems, need oxygen reinforcement, except for patients who use a ventilator. More details on how the beneficiaries of the GHS will be able to secure these condensers will be given in the next two months," he said, noting that importers were given time to proceed with their own procedures and import the necessary number of condensers.
It is reported that the use of oxygen at home concerns patients with various respiratory diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Emphysema or Cystic Fibrosis, and others.
Commenting on the relevant decision of the HIO, the President of the Federation of Cyprus Patients' Associations, Charalambos Papadopoulos, expressed the satisfaction of the organized patients, pointing out that "as OSAK for years we have been demanding the extrication of the families of these patients from the dangerous process of transporting oxygen cylinders with their private cars. In some cases, the members of the patients' families were obliged twice a month to carry the oxygen cylinders without any safety inside their cars, in the heat and in the 40 degrees of summer with all the dangers that this action hides."
The Patients' Federation, Mr. Papadopoulos concluded, "will wait for the details from the HIO in order to inform patients and their families about the procedure they must follow when the concentrators arrive in Cyprus. Until now, we know that it will be possible to transport and install the condensers to patients' homes, with the payment of a certain price, of course. Citizens, however, will also be able to obtain them from the importers' premises in all cities. Of particular importance is the fact that suppliers will also be obliged to educate patients and their family members on the use of these devices. There will also be continuous technical support."
