Officials on Thursday promised that the new accident and emergencies (A&E) unit at Larnaca general hospital would be delivered at the end of the month – but MPs remained skeptical given the delays so far.

In parliament, the spokesman for the state health services organization (Okypy) said the A&E unit will be delivered on July 25.

But despite these assurances, a number of lawmakers had serious reservations.

The discussion expanded to cover the state of state-run hospitals across the island.

Disy MP Prodromos Alambritis said the situation at the Larnaca A&E “does us no credit”.

Meantime, he noted, the old wing of the hospital is in need of major revamping.

Akel’s Nikos Kettiros said of the Famagusta hospital that it has limited space, with the problem worsening during the summer months due to increased patient visitation.

Both the Larnaca and Famagusta general hospitals are understaffed and are “at their limit”, he remarked.

His Akel colleague Andreas Pashiourtidis said he has received word that beds in the Larnaca hospital are “outside visual contact with doctors and nurses, and as a result there is a danger that certain patients do not receive proper care”.

Complaints meanwhile are being made about the inconvenience and long waiting times at the Larnaca hospital.

Okypy spokesman Charalambos Charilaou conceded that Larnaca hospital needs full refurbishment if it is to become “competitive”.

On the A&E unit specifically, he said it was small in size from the outset and thus required major upgrades.

Up until now, the hospital in Larnaca avails of just three examining beds, where on average 130 patients are seen daily.

By comparison, Nicosia general hospital examines the same number of patients, but with 20 examining beds.

The contractor has committed to delivering the new A&E unit at Larnaca hospital by July 25. The new unit will avail of 11 examining beds, plus five beds for short-term treatment, two isolation rooms, and a paediatrics room.