Ministry seeking two doctors for Pournara

The health ministry on Tuesday announced it is seeking two doctors to work at Pournara migrant reception centre for a year.

The influx of asylum seekers arriving to the island in the past year has stretched the centre’s limits, creating dismal conditions for those staying there.

Pournara, designed as a reception camp with a capacity for 800 people, was hosting around 2,500 in appalling conditions, witnessed by MPs during a visit in December.

Overcrowding, lack of toilet facilities, tents in the mud, were some of the sights greeting MPs of the House human rights committee touring the facility.

To cover the centre’s medical needs, the health ministry issued a call for applicants to fill two doctor positions.

The chosen doctors will be responsible for a range of duties, from performing the necessary medical checks on new arrivals, checking vitals and treating and monitoring injuries to writing prescriptions and referrals, administering vaccines and carrying out rapid testing, among other tasks.

They will be given a space to work and access to all relevant equipment, records and information needed to perform their duties. They will also work with additional medical staff.

They will be paid a monthly salary of €2,000 each.

To qualify, applicants must be members of the Cyprus medical association, and must have a valid medical licence.

In addition, they need to have qualifications proving a very good use of Greek and good use of English.

Applications close at 10am on January 24.