THROUGH GESY, THE SERVICES OF COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGISTS TO CITIZENS IN DUE COURSE - PARLIAMENT VOTED TO AMEND THE LEGISLATION - Filenews 2/4 by Marilena Panayi
In the General Health System (GHS), counselling psychologists are also included in the category of "other Health Professionals", after the adoption of a relevant amendment to the law by the Plenary Session of the Parliament.
However, the services of this group of professionals will begin to be provided to the beneficiaries of the GHS, when the Health Insurance Organization completes the necessary consultations with the bodies representing psychologists in Cyprus.
The HIO had been in favour of the inclusion of counselling psychologists in the System during the discussion that had preceded in the parliamentary Committee on Health which studied a relevant law proposal.
During this meeting, it was mentioned that the dialogue between the HIO and bodies representing the professionals of the sector is already underway and the basic framework of cooperation has been formed.
Psychologists asked for several diagnoses to be included in the GHS service package, so that more citizens can be served, with the HIO referring, for the time being, to a small number of diagnoses.
It is reported that this amendment was also characterized by the Health Insurance Organization as unnecessary as the GHS legislation allows the Organization to include new categories of professionals.
This issue was also the subject of a dialogue between MPs during the plenary session with AKEL arguing that since the HIO has already promoted the procedures for the inclusion of counselling psychologists in the GHS, the adoption of the amendment may "lead the Parliament in the wrong direction".
An answer was given by the rapporteur of the proposal, Alekos Tryfonidis, who referred to the need to ensure the integration of counselling psychologists into the System "so that we do not see more delays and setbacks".
