More than 1,200 doctors have signed up to work for the NHS, Phileleftheros reported on Wednesday.
Health Insurance Organisation figures show that about 800 have already been working in public health organisations and around 500 were employed in private practice .
According to the organisation’s president Thomas Antoniou, the NHS needs around 1,300-1,400 doctors to operate in its first phase.
“Of the 3,200 of doctors who are members of the Cyprus Medical Association, 2,500-2,600 are currently active in the profession. If we consider that NHS already has 1,200 doctors, then we are at a very good level,” he said.
“The philosophy of the NHS is,” Antoniou said, “that we all fund the system in order to have proper healthcare when we need it.”
He said that 70% of healthcare expenses in a given country go towards the needs of chronic patients and elderly people. “We must all think and realise that at some point we will all get old and a chronic disease might affect all of us. Those of use who can, now offer to the system, so that others can enjoy its services and in turn, the time will come for us to enjoy its services, while others will be funding it for us.”
On Tuesday morning, the organisation started calling doctors to sign their contracts with the NHS, senior officer Maria Kythraiotou told Phileleftheros. She said that 70 doctors have already signed, while another 46 were expected to do so today.
Read more:
https://in-cyprus.com/nhs-payments-to-start-on-march-1/
