Tenders invited as improvement to psychiatric hospital take step towards reality

Tenders were invited on Friday for the construction of a new mental health centre in Nicosia, part of the government’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, the transport ministry said.

The project will see the existing Athalassa psychiatric hospital expanded with new wards and improved infrastructure.

It falls under the public health ‘pillar’ of the recovery plan, and the health ministry’s actions to improve, modernise and upgrade state hospitals. Works will cost €10,353,000 in total, with €6.8 million taken from the recovery fund.

According to the plan, some of the hospital’s existing buildings will be torn down and replaced with better-equipped spaces.

These will include an acute ward equipped with 50 beds, an ECT clinic and occupational therapy rooms, an addiction treatment ward with 18 beds, staff training rooms and multi-purpose therapy areas.

In addition, the existing infrastructure will be improved, and outdoor areas will be made more accessible with new sidewalks and parking spaces.

“This project will substantially improve the standard of mental health services available to those who need them and significantly strengthen the specific health sector,” Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said.

The upgrading of Athalassa hospital shows in practice the health ministry’s commitment to ensuring high quality health services for all patients without exception, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou added.

“Our priority is to provide substantial medical support to anyone who needs it,” he concluded.