Health minister says improvements on the way at Larnaca hospital

Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said some issues are yet to be solved at Larnaca general hospital after he visited the facility on Monday, although two new specialists have been requested to improve services at the facility.

“Two months have passed since the problems at the hospital were brought to me and, despite some progress, some issues still remain,” Hadjipantela said after his visit.

In April, following a meeting with the board of directors of the state health services organisation (Okypy), the minister said the government will undertake the responsibility of looking into the issues at Larnaca hospital.

Specifically, the minister said the ICU and the dialysis departments need to be upgraded, surgeries need better scheduling and the A&E department needed additional staffing.

“The most pressing issue is the one concerning scheduled surgeries, which we are looking to address first in order to minimise disruptions for patients. More surgeries will be carried out at the hospital on a daily basis,” he said on Monday.

Moreover, Hadjipantela said a doctor will be transferred to the A&E department from Nicosia in the coming days.

“As far as the ICU department is concerned, despite there being more room for improvement, the situation is positive.

“The department has seen serious and urgent cases handled brilliantly in the past weeks, especially after an ICU specialist was brought in from Nicosia last month.

“We are still looking to improve the situation at the dialysis department. Some issues still remain and I will have another meeting to assess the department next month,” the minister said.

Finally, he added that he requested a vascular surgeon and a pulmonologist be added to the hospital’s staff to further strengthen the health services offered to patients.

Hadjipantela’s visit was praised by the hospital’s director Adamos Hadjipanayi, who said the upgrade of health services for patients in Larnaca is a priority for the ministry.

“It is important to know that we have the health minister’s support and that he is actively involved in solving ongoing issues we face at the hospital.

“All steps we have taken so far with the minister point in the right direction,” Hadjipanayi said.

The hospital came under severe scrutiny back in March with authorities investigating after a 43-year-old mother of six died in the ICU following reports there was a delay in admitting her at the A&E department.