His name is Konstantinos-Efraim, and he is only 10 months old. When he was just three months old, he learned that he would have to become a fighter. Not for anything trivial, and this is not a fight he can choose to take on when he wants to.
It is a daily, relentless battle. A fight for his life. Unfortunately, he has to wage this battle in Cyprus, an island with a barely-there government and a majority of responsible authorities who are afraid of taking responsibility. They try to hide, passing the blame to other departments.
In a fit of rage, the little boy’s father made public the ordeal his son and their family are going through. In his post, he dramatically described how his son almost died when his oxygen levels dropped significantly. He felt lucky to have been home and, being a nurse himself, was able to revive his child. Otherwise, he would have lost him.
You see, Konstantinos-Efraim suffers from a very rare condition called spinal muscular atrophy type 1. This may sound familiar; it’s the same disease that a young boy named Antonis suffered from five years ago, which sparked an outcry from the entire community. It forced the weak government to take action, ensuring the child received the extremely expensive treatment he needed to stay alive today.
Five years have passed, but the government remains just as ineffective. For four months now, Konstantinos’s parents have been trying to convince the authorities that they need a home nurse. The nature of his condition means that his breathing can stop at any moment. Yet, for four months, the state and its services have displayed a provocative lack of responsibility. No one takes ownership of the problem or finds a solution, ignoring the danger that Konstantinos-Efraim faces.
In his desperation, the boy’s father even sent a message to the President of the Republic, who replied, “We’ll look into it.” At least he responded. The Ministry of Health did not. SHSO (Organisation for the Management of State Health Services), in a written response to the father’s letter, acknowledged “the need for home nursing care for your child…” However, they stated that they were unable to provide it.
Do you understand now, Konstantinos? They acknowledge but cannot help! In other words, my poor boy, you must learn at just 10 months old that you live in a nominally European state. Even in a third-world country, you might not have received such an answer. My child, you must learn to fight this battle alone, with your parents by your side (and you are lucky that your father is a nurse, just as young Antonis was).
Following the father’s post and the philenews publications, a war of provocative reactions ensued. Each stakeholder and department tried to shift the blame, hiding behind regulations, formulations, loopholes, and weaknesses to justify their inaction.
Yes, you godless people, but the real issue is this: Konstantinos-Efraim’s life is at stake every single moment!
Listen, whether you are the Ministry of Health, the Health Insurance Organisation, SHSO, the Welfare Ministry, or any other department, society doesn’t care which one of you is responsible. They don’t care about regulations, formulations, loopholes, or weaknesses. They only care about one thing: finding a way for Konstantinos-Efraim to live. Society pays you well to find solutions to these problems. They pay you to ensure the health and safety of citizens. So, sit down together and don’t get up until you find an answer.
And for those who have the audacity to bring it up, let’s be clear: do not mention the financial aid given to the family. You have no idea what it means to raise a child with such needs. The money is never enough. In these situations, one parent has to give up work entirely, so the family relies on a single income, which is never sufficient. If they also have debts, then…
This column is not theoretical. I know from close friends what they are going through. No cheque can erase your responsibilities or solve the myriad problems they face. No amount of money can provide these children with the specialised nursing care they need because, simply put, there aren’t enough nurses in the private sector, and families can’t afford them anyway!
The real challenge lies elsewhere. There is a specific test that can detect this problem in the first few days after a child’s birth. Early detection means that treatment can prevent the disease or at least its severe complications. However, the government does not implement this test. After young Antonis’s case, they should have learned. But no, they consider the cost; yet, the cost for each Antonis and Konstantinos will be multiplied many times over as they require multi-million-euro, long-term treatments. Wake up!”
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