Cyprus spent €207.4 million on sending patients abroad and to private domestic hospitals for treatment between 2020 and 2024, with 17,748 patients benefiting from these arrangements, according to data released by Health Minister Michalis Damianos.
The spending comprised €140 million for treatment abroad and €67.4 million for referrals to Cyprus’s private sector, the minister revealed in response to a parliamentary question from MP Marinos Moushiouttas.
Foreign treatment costs averaged €2.6 million monthly or €605,000 weekly in 2024, whilst private sector referrals in Cyprus cost an average of €1.5 million monthly or €338,387 weekly.
The data showed a clear trend of increasing foreign referrals and decreasing private domestic referrals over the five-year period.
Patients sent abroad for treatment (2020-2024):
| Year | Number of patients | Total spending |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,014 | €27,039,350 |
| 2021 | 1,000 | €23,357,078 |
| 2022 | 1,252 | €29,275,434 |
| 2023 | 1,525 | €28,882,442 |
| 2024 | 1,452 | €31,474,669 |
A total of 6,243 patients were sent abroad during this period, with referrals prioritised to European Union member states under European regulation 883/2004 (Form S2), covering hospitals affiliated with the destination country’s national health system.
Private sector referrals in Cyprus (2020-2024):
| Year | Number of patients | Total spending |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,372 | €17,596,162 |
| 2021 | 3,137 | €16,842,943 |
| 2022 | 2,060 | €15,024,577 |
| 2023 | 1,585 | €9,545,807 |
| 2024 | 1,351 | €8,350,588 |
Private hospitals in Cyprus treated 11,505 patients during the period, with referrals declining significantly from 2020 to 2024.
The minister clarified that the figures include subsidised patient referrals only and incorporate payments for invoices from previous years.
The total expenditure includes payments made through the European S2 form, payments to private hospitals, laboratories and doctors according to established procedures, and payments to state hospitals in Greece.
All amounts were extracted from the FIMAS computerised system and represent cases that could not be handled within Cyprus’s General Healthcare System (GHS).
The ministry noted that former health ministry director Christina Giannaki was responsible for managing these cases.
The data reflects only actual expenditures per year, including invoices from previous years, according to the minister’s response.
Read more:
