The health ministry on Wednesday said it failed to provide a nursing assistant to a child with disabilities wishing to attend summer school because these personnel will have to cover for holidaying nurses.
Following a public complaint made by Edek MP Andreas Apostolou about the case of young Antonis, Health Minister Dr Popi Kanari blamed the decision on a “serious shortage” of nurses over the summer season. She explained that nursing assistants cover the shifts of the nurses on leave.
Kanari added that if the ministry helped this student, then they would have to provide a nursing assistant to others who have also made requests.
“They are not the only family applying. If we give to one family we have to give to all the families for which there are applications and there are several,” she said.
“There is a very limited list of nurses, who have to replace nurses who go on vacation and who have to reinforce Intensive Care Units, the A&Es in the summer periods, when we have an increased number of cases because of tourism, and other clinics.”
But the minister clarified that from September, as every year, a nursing assistant is given to this child and to all children who have these kinds of problems, so that they can be accompanied to their schools as usual.
The family of nursery school student Antonis had requested for his nursing assistant to accompany him to summer school in July, since he needs constant support and supervision. The health ministry refused this request and did not provide any alternative solutions to allow the young boy to attend summer school, the MP had told the media.
Kanari expressed her regret over the public complaint, saying she had spoken to Apostolou, but also the parents of the boy.
She clarified the response was provided by the board and the director of the state health services organisation (Okypy) stressing that “the shortage of nurses is creating issues for us”.
These nurses who accompany children take on responsibilities in state hospitals when the nurses who work there go on vacation, the minister said, adding that the staff are already “very limited”.
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