Filenews 9 October 2025 - by Marilena Panayi
Hospitals, clinics, polyclinics, pharmacies, physiotherapy centers, diagnostic centers and in general all structures for the provision of Health services, inside and outside the General Health System, in which more than three professionals work, must appoint or designate their own "patients' rights officer" to whom citizens will be able to turn when they face problems in their effort to secure the services they need or when they want to proceed in a complaint or complaint.
In fact, in the case of hospitals, the patients' rights officer will deal exclusively with patients and their rights.
At the same time, patient rights committees should be set up in all provinces which will examine complaints and complaints submitted by the patients themselves or referred by the patients' rights officers, when they themselves will not be able to resolve a problem/dispute that has been brought before them.
The appointment of Marios Charalambides by the Council of Ministers to the position of the first Patient Ombudsman yesterday paves the way for the practical implementation of the legislation passed by the Parliament last spring.
The appointment, of course, is only the beginning of the implementation of the legislation, since based on it, an entire mechanism must be set up in a short period of time, which is provided for by law, and will act as an "umbrella" for the protection of patients' rights.
The mechanism includes the establishment and appointment of the members of the District Committees, the establishment of the Scientific Committee that will support the Ombudsman and will consist of health professionals, the appointment of patients' rights officers in all health service structures, the staffing of the Office of the Patient Ombudsman and others.
The Patient Ombudsman will be an independent state official and will have the authority and obligation to examine complaints and complaints concerning violations of patients' rights, particularly in cases of urgency.
At the same time, it will check the compliance of all health service providers with the provisions of the legislation on patients' rights and will submit reports to the Minister of Health every two years with findings, suggestions and recommendations.
In addition, it will monitor the actions and practices of health service providers that affect or may affect patients' rights, while it will be able to make on-site visits and prepare reports with its positions and recommendations.
The Ombudsman's reports will be made public, with the aim of transparency and informing the public about how complaints and issues concerning patients are handled.
Patients' rights officers
Under the mechanism, the presence of patients' rights officers in each health service structure where more than three people are employed is foreseen.
One of these persons will be appointed as responsible and one as a substitute to ensure patients' rights on a 24-hour basis.
The rights officer will have as his main duties the provision of advice and assistance to patients, the receipt and management of complaints and complaints, as well as the issuance of an acknowledgement of receipt to the patient or his representative.
The procedure for handling a complaint should not exceed two working days, unless it is an urgent case, in which case the settlement should be made earlier.
In addition, the officer will inform the Ombudsman of any issues that violate or may violate patients' rights.
In cases where a problem cannot be resolved or reviewed by the rights officer, it will be referred to the provincial Patients' Rights Committees.
Complaints concerning smaller health structures, in which fewer than three professionals work, will also be submitted to the committees.
"Cooperation is needed to make the project a success"
Immediately after the announcement of his appointment, Marios Charalambides, (until now general secretary of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Cyprus Patients' Associations), stated in his statements to "F" that in order for the institution of the Patient Ombudsman to succeed and for the mechanism to function properly, as provided for by the relevant legislation, the cooperation of all stakeholders is needed.
"I am taking up duties with a sense of responsibility towards patients and with full awareness of the work needed to set up, for the first time, the mechanism that will operate in the entire health sector, inside and outside the GHS and will act as an umbrella for the protection of all citizens."
In order to achieve this goal, Mr. Charalambides added, "full cooperation is needed with all the bodies and institutions of the Health Sector, which I call on to help in this great project".
