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Three years on, Gesy has been fully embraced by the population, health minister says (Updated)

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Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela

The number of people that have used the health service Gesy are indicative of its success, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said on Wednesday to mark three years since the introduction of the system.

“For three years now, Gesy has been embraced by the citizens. It serves thousands of patients per day and the attention of all of us must be focused on its continuous improvement and upgrading in dealing with any problems that occur without changing the philosophy of the system,” the minister said.

The system, he added, went through a number of issues and managed to survive.

According to the minister, the numbers proving Gesy’s success speak for themselves, as 917,000 beneficiaries have been registered with personal doctors and 777,000 have visited their GPs since its introduction.

Moreover, a total of 756,000 patients have seen specialists, while 769,000 have procured medicines. On top of that, 159,000 people received inpatient services.

“Gesy has on its books 711 GPs, 1969 specialists, 159 laboratories and 1076 other health professionals,” Hadjipantela said.

The national health service can also rely on 687 dentists, 587 pharmacies and 58 hospitals.

“Gesy has not only withstood unprecedented conditions of pressure, such as that of the pandemic, but also proved that it can shield public health in the best and most efficient way,” Hadjipantela said.

At the same time, to ensure the viability of the Health System itself, actions are underway by the Health Insurance Organisation that would contribute to the normalisation of the operation of the System and the curbing of abuses, the minister added.

These include the operation of on-call clinics by personal physicians for adults and children, which will operate in the afternoons and holidays, the integration of the A&Es of private hospitals that are contracted with Gesy, the imposition of more severe penalties on illegal service providers and/or beneficiaries, the intensification of controls in collaboration with external consultants and the Pancyprian Medical Association, the addition of more innovative drugs, the implementation of a comprehensive information programme for beneficiaries, and the reduction of abuses.

“I appeal to everyone to protect the biggest reform that has taken place in our country since 1960,” Hadjipantela said.

President Nicos Anastasiades also celebrated Gesy’s the three-year milestone in a post on Twitter.

“Gesy has coped with the difficulties posed by the pandemic and enjoys universal support from everyone in the country,” the President said, adding that the additional allocation of €81 million to the #CyprusTomorrow scheme will further strengthen the quality of the health services.

“We are proud of Gesy because it withstood difficult conditions over the past three years and continued to grow.”

Joining the celebratory chorus was also the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), who said that since the introduction of Gesy there has been a general improvement in all aspect of public health.

“Gesy’s mission and priority is to ensure that all people have equal access to quality health service.

“Three years after it was established, the national health system created the foundation for the country’s future,” HIO said in a statement.

It added that the difficulties endured in the past years are not only due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but also from other issues inherited from before Gesy was introduced.

“According to surveys we carried out islandwide, 82 per cent of people in Cyprus are happy with the services provided by Gesy, while 80 per cent said it improved their quality of life.

“People are now aware that they can enjoy a full range of medical services regardless of their financial status.

“Every person is now entitled to a personal GP and every child to a paediatrician,” the HIO said.

The statement finally praised Gesy’s success in rearranging the health sector electronically, making Cyprus a pioneer in this particular domain.

 

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