Leukemia patients are being forced to travel abroad for crucial treatments that could be provided locally, as regulatory obstacles prevent hospitals from offering bone marrow transplants and advanced therapies despite having the necessary expertise and facilities.
The German Oncology Centre has been waiting for ten months for approval from the Ministry of Health to perform procedures in Cyprus, according to its director Nikos Zamboglou, who claims officials have suddenly cited a lack of appropriate legislation as the reason for the delay.
“We are ready to provide services for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and we have done the necessary groundwork. We have specialised doctors to offer the new treatment for leukemia,” Zamboglou told philenews.
The prolonged waits are causing significant disruption to families, according to Michalis Lytras, president of the Pancyprian Anti-Leukemia Association “ZOE”.
“Entire families suffer when a member becomes ill because they are forced to travel abroad, at a time when they can now receive their treatment in Cyprus,” Lytras explained, describing how families are often separated for months when a patient requires treatment overseas.
The situation creates both financial and emotional hardship, with the state covering expenses for both patients and their companions.
“Think about a husband being ill and going abroad with his wife, then having to find somewhere to leave their children. These things happen very frequently,” Lytras added.
The Health Minister has reportedly pledged to expedite necessary legislation, following recent discussions with stakeholders.
Lytras said the minister “appeared willing to promote the preparation of a bill which, when passed into law, will allow these procedures to be performed in Cyprus”.
Zamboglou expressed frustration with what he perceives as inconsistent application of regulatory requirements.
“In the health sector, rehabilitation centres, palliative care centres, radiodiagnostic centres, magnetic and computerised tomography scanners have been operating for years without legislation, and no one is bothered by this. Now they’re drafting the legislation. In our case, they’re bothered by the lack of legislation”.
The Association is continuing to advocate for local treatment options, with Lytras emphasising: “We want as many patients as possible to be served in Cyprus. It’s different for a patient to stay in Limassol and have to go to Nicosia for their health, or vice versa, and it’s certainly very different for our patients and their companions to have to go to another country”.
