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More than 850,000 registered with Gesy

More than 850,000 people registered with Gesy and with a general practitioner during the first 18 months of the health system’s operation, it was announced on Monday.

The Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), that runs Gesy, said that the end of 2020 marks the full implementation of the second phase of the general health scheme (Gesy) which was the introduction of inpatient care and the completion of one and half years of its operation.

HIO said it was “a fruitful period from which valuable conclusions can be drawn.”

It added that the 18 months give it the opportunity on the one hand to take stock of everything that has been done but to also reintroduce Gesy to the people.

According to HIO, between June 1, 2019 when Gesy was introduced and the end of 2020, 853,422 beneficiaries registered on GPs’ lists. Of those, 756,440 have visited their GPs for consultation, while 574,007 beneficiaries have visited specialists.

In total 606,083 people have obtained medication through Gesy during this period, while 523,679 have had lab tests. HIO said that Gesy’s list includes 1,750 prescription drugs, original and generic.

Another 343,448 beneficiaries have received inpatient care services, including 8,800 people who underwent general surgery, 2,200 who had open heart and catheterisation procedures, 2,000 people who had orthopaedic surgery and 1,400 patients who underwent neurosurgery. Five hundred patients underwent prostatectomy while 1,600 oncology patients received inpatient services from contracted centres and hospitals of their choice. There have also been 3,000 childbirths under Gesy, both natural and through caesarean section.

“Gesy gained the trust of both the beneficiaries and the providers, a fact that is confirmed by the numbers,” HIO said. It added that Cypriot and European citizens as well as third-country nationals living in Cyprus enjoy services from the providers of their choice.

Gesy, it said, operates today with the participation of more than 70 per cent of doctors and more than 88 per cent of the available beds on a nationwide basis. In total 1,745 GPs are registered with Gesy, 541 specialists, 196 paediatricians, 534 pharmacies, 147 labs while there has been a 30 per cent increase in the participation of other health professionals such as nurses and dentists. As regards services, more than 20,000 claims are submitted per day, HIO said.

Fifty-four private and state hospitals offer their services under Gesy including six accident and emergency departments.

According to HIO, most beneficiaries and providers say they are satisfied with Gesy so far.

It said that the benefits beneficiaries enjoy are financial protection, equal access to services, free choice of healthcare providers, integrated range of health services, primary health care by their GPs and personal electronic medical records.

“People deserve the best,” HIO said, adding that it was on a daily basis making sure to provide the best services. It also gave reassurances that it is carrying out the necessary improvements to its computer system and ensuring the implementation of regulations and the adoption of protocols and other measures to ensure to the greatest extent possible, Gesy’s viability.

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