President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday convened a meeting at the presidential palace to discuss the issues facing the operation and implementation of national health scheme Gesy.
Alongside Gesy operator Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) and state health services organisation Okypy, attendees included Health Minister Popi Kanari and Finance Minister Makis Keravnos.
As per the president’s request, HIO and Okypy presented roadmaps outlining how the services provided by Gesy could be improved through the modernisation of public hospitals.
Kanari told reporters after the meeting that these roadmaps were prepared after several meetings held separately between her ministry and the two organisations, adding that their main goals were the improvement of services provided, and resolving issues concerning waiting lists, A&E departments and chronic patients.
The financial risks posed by public hospitals were also on the agenda, Kanari said, adding that steps were discussed to facilitate the organisation’s financial autonomy.
Upon studying the roadmaps, a lack of detailed financial data became apparent, with Christodoulides asking that the meeting be repeated in a month’s time, so that those involved could return with more details to be analysed.
“President Christodoulides requested clearer positions, both on the content of the roadmaps and the timeline of their implementation,” the health minister said.
She added that both Okypy and the HIO will examine the new data, estimating that a clearer picture would emerge.
Another issue raised during the meeting was the supervision of Gesy’s services system, which the health ministry undertook through a supervisory role, Kanari said.
She reminded that both the HIO and Okypy have a responsibility to internally supervise the system, “which can help them see how it works in terms of personal doctors, diagnostic centres and hospitals”.
She added that her ministry will bear the responsibility of auditing these internal controls.
The meeting also covered the health ministry’s commitments on the promotion of bill proposals regarding Gesy, Kanari added.
“We are already promoting several bills, which should have been promoted a long time ago,” she said, stressing that some proposals concerning improvements in the provision of Gesy services will soon be submitted before the House.
One such bill concerns the improvement of rehabilitation clinics, aiming towards relieving congestion at some state hospital clinics, with the health minister saying a promise was made to the president that it would be reaching the House this week.
Kanari also flagged as one of her ministry’s top priorities the promotion of legislation for diagnostic centres, saying there is currently a “grey area” when it comes to their number, how they operate and with which radiologists.
“The bill will be ready towards the end of July, it will be put to consultation and then it will be promoted to the Legal Service,” she said.
She expressed the hope that the bill will be ready by the end of the year, so that it can be submitted to parliament, “and things can be put into a more rational state”.
Kanari also mentioned that issues of service provision from the Okypy side were discussed, including whether the services to immigrants, tourists and patients with mental illnesses are being utilised to the maximum extent.
Lastly she said the need for new psychiatric hospitals was highlighted, noting that a new facility is expected in Athalassa in 2024, while the new with the new mental health centre expected to be ready by 2026.