Coronavirus: Back to normal for Famagusta hospital as Covid cases drop

Famagusta reference hospital is returning to normal operations as the number of coronavirus patients treated at the facility has dropped to 15, scientific director Amalia Hadjiyianni said on Tuesday.

Hadjiyianni told the Cyprus News Agency that a separate floor with its own entrance will be dedicated to coronavirus treatment from now on.

“There are currently 15 coronavirus patients at the reference hospital today, with one in the high dependency unit,” she said, adding that the hospital is now at 20 per cent capacity, with an average age of 54. The youngest patient is 32 years old and the oldest 76.

Hadjiyianni said she was pleased that Famagusta hospital can return to normal operations so that it can provide treatments and surgery to those who need it.

“People in the free Famagusta region who were deprived of the hospital’s services for months and months, can finally start visiting their doctors,” she added, calling on the public to rearrange any appointments that were cancelled due to the hospital not accepting non-Covid patients during the pandemic.

“Members of the public can now visit the hospital without fear, as coronavirus patients will be treated in a separate ward with its own entrance,” she continued.

The main reason the hospital has been able to return to normal is the huge fall in cases recorded in the community, in addition to progress in the vaccination roll-out, Hadjiyianni said. “We are now safer and closer to returning to normality and everyday life”.

However, despite the improved epidemiological outlook and the vaccination programme, “it would be naïve to assume this is the end of the pandemic,” she remarked, saying that despite the fact the summer season will naturally yield less cases, “we must remain cautious and stick to measures”.

Regarding expansion works for the Famagusta hospital, she said that when they are completed, the hospital will gain 54 more beds, allowing for the development of more medical specialties such as ophthalmology and urology, which were not previously offered at the hospital.

“At the same time, surgery can be developed, something that is expected to give great relief to the inhabitants in the free areas of Famagusta,” she added.

She concluded that “new specialised doctors have already been hired to develop these services, offering patients the opportunity to visit the public hospital for treatment”.