Gesy on Monday unveiled its “patient’s guide”, an online portal which offers answers to frequently asked questions related to the services it offers.

The guide was unveiled by Health Minister Michael Damianos, who described the portal as “a dynamic, easy-to-use, and informative website, which provides valid and up-to-date information.

“The website offers clear and understandable guidance on Gesy services, while also providing specialised information to address the needs of patients with chronic illnesses,” he added.

He described the portal as an “extremely useful tool”, and said it “aims to foster a culture of responsible and rational use of health services, thus ensuring that people can enjoy quality health services while protecting the sustainability of the system.”

He added that informing people about Gesy and how to use it is “vital for its continued success”.
With this new tool, we aim not only to better inform people, but also to ensure Gesy’s sustainability and its continued optimisation for the benefit of patients and society as a whole, he said.

Federation of Cyprus patients’ associations (Osak) chairman Charalambos Papadopoulos said the guide “fills the gap which existed regarding specialised information on matters concerning the day-to-day care of chronically ill patients.”

To this end, he added that more types of disease will be added to the guide, with the aim of “covering a wider range of ailments and providing more specialised information to even more patients.”

The guide has been created by the health insurers’ organisation (HIO) and Osak so Gesy beneficiaries continue to have full knowledge of their rights.

The guide’s creation comes after House health committee chairman Efthimios Diplaros had said earlier in the year that doctors are being “verbally attacked” because many patients are “not sufficiently informed about their rights and obligations.”

He added, “it has been established that in too many cases, Gesy service providers blame the HIO or say Gesy will not let them fulfil a request made by a patient that they believe is unjustified.”

He also said both Osak and doctors have recorded cases of abuse against doctors, including verbal attacks and threats.

“Doctors are attacked by patients who do not know their rights and obligations,” he said, pointing out that the lack of information creates long waiting lists and cases in which patients wish to see two doctors within an hour of each other as “they feel they can demand more than they are entitled to.”

Alongside the patient’s guide, one method of resolving the problem is the creation of the role of a “patient advocate”, with Damianos having announced that legislation had been written to create such a role in July.

Explaining the decision, he said, “for us to finally move forward and complete the requisite reforms in the health sector, the health ministry needs to start taking on a supervisory role in practice.”

Osak secretary Marios Charalambides said “the advocate will have the obligation to support and advocate in favour of patients and promote their rights where necessary … Patients need their advocate.”

For more information visit: patientjourneycy.org