The government has spent a year deliberating the establishment of a National Ambulance Authority, with no final decision in sight.
A study commissioned by the President remains unheeded, while healthcare providers and patient groups express growing frustration over delays and operational issues.
Private hospitals equipped with ambulances are currently obligated to rely on the Health Insurance Organisation’s (HIO) Ambulance Service, a situation that has been in place since 2019. Critics argue this arrangement creates a conflict of interest, as the HIO, a General Health System (GHS) provider, is also responsible for serving other providers.
“Last January, we had a meeting with the President of the Republic,” said Miltos Miltiadous, a representative of the Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations (CFPA). “The President asked CFPA to prepare a study on how the ambulance service should operate in Cyprus, and in March we submitted our study, along with our proposals, which were clear.”
Despite the submitted study, no response has been forthcoming, leaving the issue “stagnant,” according to Miltiadis. CFPA’s study outlines three options for the Ambulance Authority: an independent crisis management service, an independent ambulance authority, or a separate department within the Ministry of Health. The group strongly advocates for an independent model.
“As CFPA, we have clear views. The government knows them,” Miltiadous asserted. “As we had pointed out at our press conference in December 2023, we will not accept compromises in the health sector. Ambulance services must operate independently.”
The Limassol Medical Centre has also voiced concerns, denouncing the “mercenary treatment of the state Ambulance Service” and calling for intervention from the Minister of Health.
They highlighted the absurdity of private hospitals being unable to utilise their own ambulances due to regulatory constraints.
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