Health minister announces intention to regulate rehabilitation centres

Health Minister Popi Kanari has announced her intention to put into law new regulations on rehabilitation centres.

Kanari said that the purpose of the proposed new law “is to regulate the establishment, operation, and control of recovery and rehabilitation centres”.

She added that she hopes the bill will “bridge the gap in ensuring the provision of high-quality recovery and rehabilitation services and the regulation of their licencing”.

Disabled rights group Kysoa chairman Christakis Nikolaides was less than convinced, however, telling the Cyprus Mail that such laws are often written and passed without consulting patients and disabled people.

He said that in previous cases, the quality standards they demanded were perceived to be too high by the ministry and that they “did not want us in their hair”.