Public hospitals in Cyprus are in a state of emergency with the ever rising new coronavirus cases on top of seasonal infections and could collapse at any given moment.
This is what Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou warned on Tuesday, adding that the private sector’s help is now more essential than ever.
The Minister also said the State Health Services Organisation (Okypy) is constantly struggling to recruit additional hospital beds and private doctors’ services.
“The number of intubated patients in Intensive Care Units has exceeded all previous ones, reaching 28 in total, while on Monday alone 51 people were hospitalized in critical condition,” he said.
“The Health Ministry is urgently recruiting private doctors as the need of hospitals for medical staff has skyrocketed,” he added.
In addition to the significant increase in the number of patients with coronavirus admitted to hospitals, the pathological and pulmonology departments of all public hospitals are flooded with patients with other seasonal infections as well.
“We cannot transfer the staff of the pathology and pulmonology departments to the coronavirus patients’ wards, we need support from private doctors,” an Okypy spokesman said.
“Some private doctors respond willingly when called in but others refuse to show up and this is a big concern,” he added.
The Health Minister who was also informed over the unwillingness of private doctors to help warned in written statement that citizens should abide by measures in force now to prevent the further deterioration of the situation.
“The situation is extremely difficult and can cease to be manageable at any time,” the Minister also said.
