Staff at Limassol General Hospital’s clinical lab will stage a 24-hour strike on Monday in protest at lack of auxiliary personnel in the afternoons, weekends and holidays, their trade union said on Thursday.

The issue has been under discussion with the management of the state health services (Okypy) for Limassol over the past three years, they added.

The union said that outside office hours, a single lab technician is responsible for the two departments in the lab.

“Further than his scientific duties, which is to carry out and assess lab tests, he is obliged to carry out auxiliary duties as well as processing the tests on the computer,” it said.

The workload has risen dramatically to the point that personnel say there is a risk they will not be able to fulfil their scientific duties and continue to offer quality health care services.

In addition, there is a big delay in results being sent to the hospital’s department.

Safety staff will be on duty on the day of the strike, it added.

The union apologised to patients, the nursing and medical staff and asked for their understanding and support so that the clinical labs of the public hospitals can continue to offer quality services.