Christodoulides: Government to further upgrade GeSY and solve problems

President Christodoulides has said he will not only support, but will further upgrade the General Healthcare System (GeSY), adding that the government is ready to proceed with the changes that need to be made.

The President, who paid a visit to the Limassol General Hospital on Tuesday, accompanied by Minister of Health Popi Kanari, told hospital staff that he recognises their important role and expressed certainty that if they manage together to solve the problems that exist then "we will all be winners for the benefit above all of the Cypriot people."

Noting that GeSY was the most important social reform ever made, he said that the government will "not only support it but we will do everything possible to further upgrade it."

We are ready to move forward with those changes that need to be made, always within the philosophy of GeSY, he said, adding that it is normal that such a big reform brings along problems.

The President asked for the cooperation of health professionals to go ahead with those changes needed in order to upgrade the public hospitals and the health system.

He said that after the meetings that the Minister of Health will have with all hospitals personnel, they will set timeframes for resolving the problems.

We must meet the expectations of the Cypriot people and work together with the patients as well, he said.

Meanwhile, invited by journalists to comment on statements made by the Director of the Hospital that hospitals have become geriatric clinics, he said that he is concerned by this adding that what is missing is a state policy for the elderly, and recalled that this was included in his campaign programme.

It is an area, he stressed, where Cyprus lags behind to a significant extent compared to other EU member states.

He also said that he received many messages from citizens, especially about the situation in the Emergency Department, and added that he exchanged views with patients and doctors, as well as the State Health Services Organisation, and "some decisions have been made and we will proceed immediately so that we do not have such incidents again."

(Source: CNA)