With the GESSY budget for 2022 still before the House of Representatives, the debate regarding the doctors who abuse the system and the measures taken by the OAY continues. In fact, in the last period of time, there are many cases of doctors who saw the exit door from the GESS or who have been suspended due to their behavior. At the same time, the number of complaints received by OAY from GESS beneficiaries increased, mainly with regard to specialist doctors. A typical example is a 62-year-old woman, who spoke to “P” about the suffering she is experiencing in the last month, after a visit to a plastic surgeon for a cyst removal and, among other things, complains that she is still waiting for the result of the biopsy.
They called an anesthesiologist
As she mentioned, while her doctor had said before the operation that she would send the bladder for a biopsy, a month later and in her file at the GESS there is no information about what happened to the sample. According to the testimony of the complainant, when the doctor informed her that she had to have the operation, he admitted her to the hospital. She even wondered why, as she knew in advance that it was a minor operation, while, as she characteristically stated, she was never hospitalized. In fact, the woman stated that while it was a minor operation they wanted to drug her and an anesthesiologist was called, who was compensated without doing anything.
No answer
Apart from the issue of the misuse of GESS resources, which is being examined by the OAY, since the specific lady has already made a relevant complaint, there seem to be problems in the way the doctor manages the incident. While the area had to be left open after the bladder was removed, the plastic was sutured continuously, resulting in infection. The 62-year-old, after realizing that something was wrong, went to her personal doctor, who sent her to another plastic. The woman had to visit the second plastic a total of four more times until the wound closed, thus burdening the system with visits that, under other circumstances, would not have taken place and would not have been reimbursed. Regarding the biopsy, the 62-year-old told “P” that while the operation was performed on January 14, until today she has not received any information on whether the examination was performed and its results. She stressed that, no matter how many times she tried, she could not contact the doctor, who works in a private clinic in Nicosia, while her personal doctor could not learn anything more through the computer system of GESS. The GESS officials were not able to inform her about what happened to the sample either, with the woman noting that due to a family history of cancer, she is particularly worried about the result of the examination. “P” tried to talk to the doctor who performed the operation or to a representative of the clinic, without being able to communicate. However, as “P” is able to know, no entry for a biopsy was made by the said doctor within the GESS system, neither regarding the file of the specific patient, nor for any of her other patients at that time. period. However, it is worth noting that 20 days after the operation, the doctor entered the patient's file and made 12 changes in relation to the services he provided, with the issue being investigated by OAY officials.
