Patient organisations are demanding explanations from the government over the exclusion of ambulance services from the new Civil Protection Mechanism, claiming the President had committed to including them in the reform.
The Federation of Cyprus Patient Associations (OSAK) argues that President Nikos Christodoulides pledged a year ago to include ambulance services in the specific reform and is now seeking answers.
Private ambulance owners are also raising concerns, claiming the absence of legislation regulating their companies’ operations is forcing them into illegality and company closures.
President promised ambulance inclusion in crisis management reform
The controversy emerges as a draft law at the Law Office proposes returning ambulances from GHS (National Health System) to the Health Ministry, a move OSAK characterises as a “serious step backwards”.
“OSAK has been demanding for two or more years, through data and evidence that prove beyond any doubt the need for creating a Crisis Management Centre/Service/Authority for citizen protection,” said Miltos Miltiadous, member of OSAK’s Executive Committee.
“We cannot, however, avoid commenting strongly on the substance of this decision,” Miltiadous added.
Private ambulance companies face closure without legislation
In November 2024, OSAK met with the President and repeated their request for an Independent Ambulance Authority or the creation of a Crisis Management Body that would include ambulance services alongside Civil Defence and Fire Service.
“The President assured us that by the end of 2025 the government would be ready to proceed with creating this body,” Miltiadous said.
“He also informed us that a law regulating ambulance operations would be passed, with ambulance services transferring temporarily to the Health Ministry until the Body’s operation”.
The patient advocate noted that whilst the government is proceeding with “co-housing” first response services, it is leaving ambulance services outside this arrangement.
Draft law proposes returning ambulances to Health Ministry
“When organised patients warned about the need for creating an Independent Authority, they told us that if something is to be done, it must be proper reform,” Miltiadous said.
“When we made a proposal for proper reform, they said ‘okay but meanwhile let’s also make a law for ambulances as a temporary measure to license private operators'”.
“Unfortunately, we find that this was not something ‘temporary’ but something completely permanent,” he added.
Andreas Pembetsios, representing three private ambulance companies, told Philenews that the absence of legislation forces them to “operate illegally or more correctly endangers our viability because as things stand now, we cannot cooperate with any private hospital”.
Some ambulances are “licensed” through private hospitals whilst operating independently in practice.
Early private ambulance companies managed to register their vehicles with hospitals through “virtual” registration, but newer companies can no longer do this as hospitals refuse due to risk and liability concerns.
“If legislation is not passed, we risk closure,” Pembetsios said, clarifying that private companies seek a share of patient transport requiring simple transfer, not emergency cases, which should be handled by state ambulances for safety reasons.
