Doctors slam ‘lack of coordination’ after Limassol hospital downgrade

State doctors’ union (Pasyki) lamented the absence of comprehensive planning and coordination between the competent authorities after the Limassol general hospital was downgraded on Friday.

The hospital was downgraded to “category 2” by the health insurers’ organisation (HIO).

In response, Pasyki said the reputation of public hospitals had been damaged.

“Concerns and fears about the future of state hospitals have been intensified,” they said.

They also criticised Health Minister Popi Kanari.

“As the supervisory authority, [she] should have known about the HIO’s decisions and the impacts they could potentially have.”

Additionally, they hit out at the HIO.

“They remain exposed since it appears they did not consult the quality criteria as they should have done, and would likely bear a huge responsibility if they had not informed [Kanari] of their decisions before proceeding to announce them.”

Okypy were also blasted, with Pasyki saying “this latest development adds to their repeated failures as a model of administration and management of public hospitals.”

“Responsibilities are not erased by announcing meetings after the fact, nor by reviewing issues that have already happened. Such practice has no place in the quality treatment of patients,” they added.

There is now only one Okypy-run hospital rated as “category 1”, the Nicosia general hospital. The others, in Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, and the Famagusta general hospital in Paralimni, are all classed as “category 2”.