The Health Ministry presented an amended bill on university clinics to parliament’s health committee on, but universities, doctors and other bodies still have serious reservations despite the changes.
Karolina Stylianou, a senior ministry official, told the committee that the ministry had met all the parties involved over the past week, as the committee had asked, and had considered their proposals.
The revised bill makes it mandatory for hospitals and medical schools to sign cooperation agreements with specific clauses, to increase transparency and hospitals’ involvement. The agreements put particular emphasis on patients’ rights and on hospitals’ ability to meet their teaching obligations. They must take into account the available infrastructure, staff and services, and medical schools will be required to ensure suitable training conditions for students.
Stylianou said the bill also changes how university clinics are staffed, so that it fits the way they operate, and sets rules on the pay of trainee doctors and on the responsibilities of each clinic’s director.
One of the main issues has been the relationship between hospitals and medical schools. Following talks with the University of Cyprus, the bill now provides for one main medical school per university clinic, although students from other schools could still train there. The new arrangements would be phased in over two years.
Stylianou said the revised text had not yet been reviewed by the Law Office of the Republic, which will take part in the clause-by-clause examination of the bill.
The state hospitals’ organisation, SHSO, backed the bill. The Pancyprian Association of Private Hospitals welcomed the adoption of a significant share of its proposals but kept its reservations over trainee doctors.
The Federation of Patients’ Associations of Cyprus (OSAK) described the one-main-school-per-clinic provision as a “red line”, and called for minimum staffing levels and coordination mechanisms. The Patients’ Rights Advocate submitted 11 points it said needed regulating, including consent and continuity of care.
The civil servants’ union PASYDY and the government doctors’ union PASYKI expressed serious concerns about staffing, administrative powers and how public hospitals would function.
The University of Cyprus warned that the quality of university clinics would be downgraded, and other universities also voiced reservations. The Pancyprian Federation of Student Unions (POFEN) called for enough clinical placements and equal opportunities for students, and questions were also raised about the accreditation of degree programmes.
