The new A&E departments at state hospitals demonstrate the government’s commitment to upgrading public healthcare, Health Minister Michael Damianos said on Friday. He added that the introduction of fast-track outpatient services has eased the pressure on emergency departments, allowing staff to focus more on serious cases.
Damianos visited the A&E department at Larnaca general hospital, saying that the next phase of the hospital’s upgrade is progressing at a satisfactory pace and remains on track for completion by 2026.
The new A&E opened on September 18 and fast-track outpatient services have already been established, he said.
“This is a measure that worked,” Damianos noted. “More than 6,500 patients have been treated through the fast-track outpatients. In Nicosia, this accounted for 17 per cent of total A&E visits, while in Larnaca and Paphos it reached 40 per cent, and about the same in Famagusta.”
This, he explained, serves low-risk patients who can be discharged faster, freeing up the A&E to deal with more serious emergencies.
“This is certainly not the end, rather the beginning of the upgrading of services we wish to offer at our hospitals,” Damianos added.
The minister also spoke with patients to ask how long they had been waiting at the A&E. “It seems they are satisfied,” he said.
“Waiting times have been greatly reduced so that people are served better, and we believe we are moving in the right direction.”
Asked about the Audit Office report that slammed services offered in 2023 at Larnaca general hospital, Damianos said “auditing does us good”.
He added that significant improvements have been made since then, with most services now transferred to the new hospital.
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