For most of its early life, the National Health Service has managed an unprecedented pandemic since 2020.

Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said: “In its three years since being launched, the NHS has been embraced by the citizens.

“It serves thousands of patients per day, and we must be focused on constantly improving and upgrading it, dealing with any problems that occur without changing the system’s philosophy”.

The number of people who have used the NHS indicates its success, said Hadjipantela, noting that the vast majority of the population has used its services.

According to the minister, 917.000 beneficiaries have registered with NHS general practitioners, and 777.000 have visited their GPs since its introduction.

Moreover, 756.000 patients have seen specialists, while 769.000 have procured medicines.

Some 159.000 people have received inpatient services at least once.

Hadjipantela said 771 GPs, 1.969 specialists, 159 laboratories and 1.076 other health professionals are contracted to the NHS.

Beneficiaries can also enjoy the services of 687 dentists, 587 pharmacies and 58 health institutions.

The minister said the NHS has “withstood unprecedented conditions of pressure, such as the pandemic, but also proved that it can shield public health in the best and most efficient way”.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to improving the NHS, Hadjipantela said actions were underway to rid the system of abuses and upgrade it.

These include the operation of on-call clinics by personal physicians for adults and children, which will operate in the afternoons and holidays and the integration of the A&Es of private hospitals contracted with the NHS.

The minister said that authorities would introduce severe penalties on service providers who try to abuse the system.

President Nicos Anastasiades also celebrated the NHS’ three-year milestone in a post on Twitter, calling it the biggest social reform that has taken place in Cyprus.

A Presidency statement said: “With the implementation of NHS, medical facilities were upgraded, actions and policies were implemented, which focus on the patient and their needs.

“A robust health system has been created, accessible to all”.

The total budget of the Ministry of Health has increased by 79% since 2013, “proof of the political will and determination of the Government and President Nicos Anastasiades personally to support health”.

According to the Presidency, there was an 85% reduction in the money patients spend on medicines.

The coverage of the cost of medicines for patients reached €197 million.

An increase in surgeries by 295% was recorded.

In 2021, 100.000 surgeries were performed on NHS beneficiaries, compared to an average of 34.000 surgeries a year performed in state hospitals before the inclusion of private hospitals in the health system.

“The Government is planning other actions…with €81 million earmarked for improvements to the NHS”.

Source: Financial Mirror