Filenews 31 October 2025 - by Marilena Panayi
The background rages after the first discussion of the bill on the operation of radiology centers in Cyprus, with the disagreements of the radiologists, technical radiologists and owners of radiology centers involved in the field having become, as MPs complain, into an obsession that leads to constant phone calls and pressure. In the public debate, there are now also complaints about the collaboration of doctors with radiology centers, about referrals with handwritten suggestions for specific centers, kickbacks and suspicious collaborations.
"We are facing tension on the verge of fanaticism," AKEL MP Nikos Kettiros told "F", while DISY MP Charalambos Pazaros spoke of "economic interests that we must listen to but make the right decisions for the benefit of patients".
"Throughout the period since the implementation of the GHS and because there is no legislation, some people have found the opportunity and entered this space. They have become small and large kingdoms and no one is willing to discuss or change anything that is not in their interest," said the AKEL MP, adding that "we cannot discuss issues related to the health and safety of citizens and speak in economic terms." In fact, as Mr. Kettiros said, "due to this great tension that prevails, various complaints come to us. We have not documented them, but they must be documented so that the world knows what is happening. They tell us about specific doctors, who send patients to specific centers. They tell us about doctors who, at the time of issuing the referral, print it out and write by hand the names of one or two centers and imply that the doctors receive a commission from the centers."
"If the doctor guides for personal financial gain, we have a problem. If the doctor guides because he thinks that a center has better equipment and its results are more reliable, it is different."
The bill, said Mr. Kettiros, "rightly came to Parliament and the Minister of Health rightly submitted it.All these disagreements have turned into fanaticism and obsession. To ring our phone from all diagnostic centers and from all sides every day to satisfy their requests. What I want to say to everyone is that their obsession in the end will not help at all in passing theirs. They really don't help themselves with this situation."
DISY MP Charalambos Pazaros was also clear in his statements. "The safety of patients, the correct diagnosis and the correct management in cases of complications are and should be the only concern of the MPs", he said in turn to "F", stating, at the same time, that "we regret to find that there is no agreement between those involved and what is worse there is not either, at least obvious, willingness to make concessions so that we can all find the right solution together. We show understanding to the opposite point of view as well. We record all the data. If, for example, there are 300 centers and 200 radiologists, we cannot, no matter what we do, cover all the centers with radiologists. We need to see the right data and make our decisions as a Parliament. We have to make the decision and certainly this decision, by today's standards, cannot satisfy all the demands of everyone. We also have the option of sending the bill back to the Ministry and for the health sector to wait another 15 years for the issue to come back to Parliament. This is certainly not our intention or choice."
An effort will be made, said Mr. Pazaros, "for the Commission to talk to them. But the bill must be passed into law. This is a given and the Commission will certainly act as it should for the benefit of patients."
It is recalled that the biggest disagreement between radiologists on the one hand and radiologist technologists, radiodiagnostic centers, on the other focuses on whether a doctor specializing in radiology must be present in all centers during all radiodiagnostic examinations.
The positions of the representatives of all stakeholders were particularly strong last week during the meeting of the parliamentary committee on Health, as has been the background in recent days.
