Health minister to meet Okypy over project delays

Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas said Monday he will be meeting with the leadership of the state health services organisation (Okypy) by the end of the week to discuss the implementation of certain projects that have been delayed.

It followed a letter to Okypy last week in which he criticised the organisation of dragging its feet in implementing cabinet decisions.

In the letter, the minister said he found that Okypy had not moved forward in almost all the development projects that were included in its budget.

Hadjipantelas said the executive director of Okypy, even after the publication of the tenders’ announcement, tried to stymie the plan saying he did not agree with it.

“Apparently you do not respect either the decisions of the Council of Ministers or the instructions of the minister of health,” the letter adds.

On Monday, Hadjipantelas appeared more conciliatory, saying cooperation with Okypy was excellent.

“My letter has already been answered and we will meet by the end of the week and all timeframes will be discussed,” the minister said on Facebook.

Publication of the letter on Sunday prompted state doctors to voice their own grievances against Okypy.

Their union, Pasyki, accused the organisation of caring more about its own “luxury offices” instead of the necessary infrastructure for patients.

The minister’s letter intensified concerns about the future of state hospitals, Pasyki said in a statement.

“The state must ponder whether this was what it had in mind when it took the decisions to reform public hospitals as well as what it will seek to do.”