In an effort to address long patient waiting lists within the healthcare system, Minister Popi Kanari announced on Saturday the convening of a meeting between stakeholders on Monday. The Minister stressed the urgency of finding immediate solutions to this pressing concern.
The forthcoming meeting, scheduled for 12 noon on Monday at the Ministry of Health, will see the active participation of key stakeholders, including the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), responsible for managing the national health system (GeSY), the State Health Services Organisation overseeing public hospitals, the patients’ federation, the Medical Association, and General Practitioners (GPs). Minister Kanari expressed optimism that, through collective engagement, viable solutions could be identified.
While the Minister revealed that she has formulated certain proposals for discussion, she also stressed the importance of input and solutions from all entities within the healthcare system. She underscored the existence of the problem, which impacts individuals on a daily basis.
Minister Kanari highlighted the immediate necessity of addressing the issue to prevent individuals from enduring lengthy wait times, especially in specialised medical fields, though she acknowledged that the problem might not be uniform across all medical disciplines.
Additionally, Minister Kanari disclosed that initiatives have been set in motion to streamline the process of incorporating innovative drugs under the purview of the HIO. She noted that the organisation had committed to doubling its budget allocation for this, signalling a commitment to addressing not only patient waiting times but also improving access to cutting-edge medical treatments.