Polis Chrysochous mayor Yiotis Papachristofi on Wednesday called for a new hospital to be built in his town.

In a letter to Health Minister Michael Damianos, he said that his municipality needs “special support” from the central government to be able to “ensure proper and adequate medical care for its residents”.

With this in mind, he said the existing hospital in Polis Chrysochous has “significant problems”, most of which have come about due to its age. He pointed out that parts of the building were built during British colonial rule and that they therefore “no longer meet the area’s modern needs”.

He added that the area’s needs have “increased significantly in recent years”, with its population often more than doubling in the summer months due to tourism, and with the completion of the highway connecting it to Paphos set to bring an even greater increase in demand.

Additionally, he said, the construction of two new hotels in Latchi will further increase the area’s medical needs, “in an area which is already burdened”.

He added that the construction of a new hospital would likely take around five years, and that as such, an “immediate political decision” should be taken by the central government to allow construction to begin and “respond to the growing needs of the people of the region”.