Health minister vows solutions for specialist appointment delays

Health Minister Popi Kannari has vowed that solutions are on the way to resolve the issue of long lists plaguing patients when trying to be seen by specialists.

The minister is to chair a meeting on Monday afternoon which will include key stakeholders in the sector such as the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), the patients’ association (Osak), the state health services, the pharmaceutical services, personal doctors, and others.

She stressed the need for immediate solutions to prevent further distress to the public, with some patients currently waiting months to be seen.

“We know this problem exists, we see it daily, and complaints are made to the HIO commissioner and to us [the health ministry],” Kanari said on Saturday.

The minister emphasised that the solutions must be such that an effective healthcare system can provide appointments “within a few days, a short period, and we are able to respond to urgent requests – mainly urgent incidents”.

She added that with everyone’s contribution – the key stakeholders – “we will find solutions”.

Kanari said that she already has some proposals that will be put on the table.

Speaking at the cardiology clinic of the Nicosia general hospital, the minister also spoke about upcoming developments to innovative drugs, novel treatments, and making them available to patients.

She explained that the current mechanisms which deal with innovative drugs may need tweaking, as identified by the president, along with more funding being allocated to the sector.