The national health system (GHS) software has been crashing on average once per week over the past two months, causing significant disruption to patients and healthcare providers across Cyprus.
HIO Deputy Director Marios Tziakouris told philenews that while the system appears to be stabilising, with no issues reported in the past ten days, some risk remains.
The problems began after the contractor reorganised its project team following a recent contract renewal, taking over tasks previously handled by partners.
The technical issues have forced patients to make multiple pharmacy visits for medications, while doctors have had to rely on phone calls to communicate prescription details and have lost access to electronic patient records.
“We understand this has been an extremely difficult situation for everyone – the HIO, beneficiaries and our providers”, Tziakouris said.
He noted that while the GHS software had operated without issues for five years since its 2019 launch, becoming a cornerstone of Cyprus’s electronic healthcare, the recent problems emerged during the contractor’s transition period.
The HIO has limited technical intervention capabilities but has issued strict recommendations to the contractor to strengthen its teams with experienced personnel who can effectively address the technical issues.
