The Health Insurance Organization (HIO) will come up with a plan aiming to best improve the island’s General Healthcare System (GeSY) within a month and in collaboration with the Health Ministry.
This is what Philenews reported on Tuesday, adding that HIO head Stavros Michael announced this shortly after talks with newly-elected President Nikos Christodoulides.
“We agreed with the President that in one month from today we will present, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, a plan with necessary actions aiming towards improving the state of play. That is, to minimise existing distortions in the system,” he told journalists.
“Top priority will be given to prevailing problems in Emergency Rooms in all state hospitals, innovative medicines, etc,” he added.
“The President assured me of the support of the Government in any changes that will be towards the direction of improving services offered to Cypriot citizens,” he added.
The meeting between Christodoulides and Michael took place at a time when first reactions began following submission before parliament of two proposed bills by centre Diko party.
The first bill focuses on non-GeSY hospital doctors who intend to join the system, and the second the deduction from the HIO of the amount that the health service providers of GESY owe to the Tax Department.
Diko MPs tried to explain the rationale and the objective behind their proposals, while no public comments were made on behalf of the HIO.
However, insiders said both issues were discussed during Monday’s meeting of the HIO board of directors who seem to disagree.
At the same time, the Federation of Cyprus Patients’ Associations have accused the Government, Parliament and the HIO of being responsible for wasting resources on issues that are serious but do not concern the real problems of patients.
