The House health committee on Thursday called for an emergency session to examine obstacles in the approval process for oncology drugs, formally registering the issue on its agenda. The move comes amid rising complaints from doctors and patients about critical delays.

Committee chair and Disy MP, Efthymios Diplaros, said the delays followed the recent transfer of the special drugs committee from the ministry of health to the health insurance organisation (HIO). He described the situation as unacceptable and “a matter of human lives.”

Speaking after a closed-door meeting, Diplaros confirmed the HIO had acknowledged the problem.

“We are dealing with a very large and unjustifiable delay in drug approvals,” he said.

“This issue cannot drag on. We are talking about people who are fighting for their lives.”

Edek MP Andreas Apostolou also raised alarm, saying the situation is serious and worsening.

“Every day that passes is critical,” he said.

Apostolou stressed that this is not about isolated cases. He called it a systemic issue that must be resolved urgently. He revealed that both the head of the Cyprus patients’ federation’s cancer committee and the director of the HIO have confirmed the problem. He urged the HIO to take immediate corrective action.

“This must be solved within hours, not days,” he said.

The delays affect cancer patients whose treatments fall outside the standard Gesy coverage and require special approvals. Oncologists have reportedly faced rejections or silence after submitting urgent requests for these drugs.

The upcoming committee hearing aims to establish how widespread the issue is and what changes are needed to avoid further harm. MPs have vowed not to let the matter fade, insisting that bureaucratic failures must not come at the cost of human life.