The number of complaints made by patients to patients’ associations Osak’s observatory in January was 17 per cent higher in January this year than it was in the first month of last year, Osak’s legal officer Michaela Markou said on Monday.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, she said a total of 61 complaints were submitted to the Osak observatory in the first month of this year, with most of those being related to the treatment of patients over the age of 70 years old.

Additionally, she said, patients have filed complaints about waiting times at accident and emergency departments, problems regarding the hospitalisation of elderly patients, and “inconvenience” at hospital pharmacies.

This “inconvenience”, she said, often relates to medicines not being available, while issues have also arisen due to the long distances some elderly patients are required to travel every month to access medicines they require.

Another frequent complaint, she said, was that some patients’ relatives were being refused access to meet their loved ones due to the risk of infection, while some elderly patients reported suffering from bedsores and contracting other illnesses while in hospital.

She added that some patients had complained that instruction sheets for specialised drugs were not printed in Greek or English, and that they had “no proper communication” with their doctors, potentially leading to delays in the service provided and, in some cases, incorrect diagnoses.

She went on to say that in Osak’s attempts to resolve these complaints, they have “not received satisfactory responses so far” from the authorities.

Efforts have been made in some quarters to improve patients’ experience in Cyprus in recent months, with Gesy having unveiled its “patient’s guide” in November.

The guide is an online portal which offers answers to frequently asked questions related to the services it offers and was described by Health Minister Michael Damianos at its unveiling 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.”

Meanwhile, plans are afoot to create the role of a “patient advocate”, with Damianos saying last year that there has been a “constant demand” for such a role to be created, on the part of patients, concerned citizens, and political parties.

He said his ministry is now “taking a decisive step towards safeguarding patients’ rights, both inside and outside Gesy”, and that the provisions set out in the bill “are crucial to the empowerment of patients’ rights and the improvement of the quality of health services in this country.”

Speaking of the patient advocate’s role, he said the eventual appointee will “have the authority to examine complaints and reports concerning patients’ rights”, while also “providing information and updates, and organising educational programmes and campaigns to raise awareness about patients’ rights.”