Rheumatic disease patients in Cyprus risk losing limbs because they cannot maintain necessary home temperatures due to high electricity costs, advocates told parliament on Thursday.
Representatives from the Cyprus Anti-Rheumatic Association appealed to the House Health Committee for special electricity rates for specific categories of rheumatic patients, but said their requests were rejected by both the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) and the Ministry of Energy.
Patients with conditions such as scleroderma require consistent room temperatures to prevent serious complications, the association explained. Without proper temperature regulation, these patients face severe risks including potential limb loss.
“To understand the severity, one of our members lost their toes because their sock folded, preventing proper blood circulation to their foot,” representatives told the committee.
The association noted that while there are more than 200 types of rheumatic diseases affecting over 250,000 Cypriots, they are only seeking special electricity rates for specific high-risk categories.
The parliamentary committee plans to send letters to the Ministries of Health and Commerce requesting the addition of these vulnerable rheumatic patient groups to the list of those eligible for special electricity rates.
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