Doctors working at the Paphos general hospital A&E department will hold a three-hour work stoppage on Thursday, state doctors’ union Pasyki said on Tuesday.

The work-stoppage will last from 9am to noon, a window during which only emergency cases will be dealt with.

“Repeated fruitless promises and wishful thinking on the part of the State Health Services Organisation (Okypy) left patients and doctors exposed and damaged the image of our public hospitals, which are unfortunately being used at will within the General Health Scheme (Gesy),” the statement said.

The doctors have previously held a series of strikes over staffing issues at the department.

Last year, Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos described conditions at Paphos general hospital as “tragic, appalling and utterly shameful”.

Okypy hit back saying it refused to accept statements that conditions are horrible or that dangerous medicine is practiced there.

It conceded there are some “weaknesses” at the hospital, but that millions of euros will be set out in their budget to upgrade it.