Medical association says doctors shouldn’t be victimised

Doctors suspended from their work over medical negligence investigations in the death of a teen should not be victimised, the Cyprus Medical Association (Cyma) said on Saturday.

In a statement the association issued, they said that while they are saddened by the death of the teen, 15-year-old Ioanna Skordi, and that while they express their support to the family, people’s scientific and medical credentials should not be picked apart.

“They should not be victimised in a way that harms their scientific prestige,” Cyma said.

The group added that the doctors for several years have offered and are offering their utmost, especially under extremely difficult working conditions at the Makarios Hospital.

On Friday, state health service Okypy said it was unfortunate for doctors to be suspended.

“When an official is suspended, it does not mean that they are guilty, but rather that Public Health Committee has deemed it is for the public’s interest to not affect any ongoing police investigation,” Okypy spokesman Pambos Charilaou said.

Commenting further on the death of 15-year-old Ioanna Skordi in March, he said Okypy has also made internal adjustments so the care of children at the Makarios hospital being treated for kidney problems is not affected.

The parents of children with transplants have sent a letter to Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela complaining about the suspension of one of the doctors, who is a nephrologist at Makarios, and was monitoring their children.

Spokeswoman of the group Neophyta Kyprianou told the Cyprus Times their children have been put in danger with the suspension of the doctor, who monitored other transplant patients as well.

“Our children need specialised care, and we will do not accept that they will be monitored by a non-specialist after so many years of being monitored by the only child nephrologist that exists,” she said.

She added that it is unacceptable for their children to be treated as ‘lab animals.’