Okypy defends handling of cancer patient who waited three hours for treatment

State health services organisation (Okypy) on Tuesday defended the handling of a cancer patient who allegedly had to wait over three hours at the Paphos hospital’s accidents and emergency department.

The organisation said the woman, who was reported to be about 60 years old and at the end stage of breast cancer, “received all the appropriate emergency medical care” when she visited the A&E department of the public Paphos hospital on Monday morning.

“All the necessary medical protocols were activated to properly assess the patient,” Okypy said, explaining the woman is being monitored by a private clinic.

The state doctor on duty, after many persistent efforts, contacted the private hospital and was told that there are no beds available so they could not accept the patient.

Although there were no beds available at the district’s public hospital, Okypy said, “all necessary actions were taken” and a bed was secured to admit the woman.

The case was reported by Astra on Monday, following a relevant complaint by the person who was accompanying the patient.

According to the report, the woman had to wait for more than three hours on a wheelchair before she was admitted to receive the necessary medical care.