The costs of dealing with the pandemic from 2020 to date have exceeded 200 million, with the largest costs relating to the supply of vaccines and medicines against Covid 19, the supply of rapid detection tests and the purchase of services for the implementation of rapid detection tests and molecular control, the services from a private hospital for the treatment of positive cases and the rehabilitation of post-covid patients, said the Minister of Health, Michalis Hatzipantela, in front of the members of the Finance Committee of the Parliament, in the session of which he presented the budget of his Ministry for 2023.
According to Mr. Hatzipantela, since the start of the vaccination program and until today, a total of 1.8 million doses have been administered.
As noted by the Minister of Health, the vaccination program against the coronavirus continues, while he added that they have been ensured the updated vaccines, encouraging citizens to get their booster doses.
Besides, Mr. Hatzipantela mentioned that through competitive procedures, negotiations have been carried out with economic operators, to ensure free rapid detection tests, while he added that with other actions under the instructions and guidance of the Director General of the Ministry of Health, savings amounting to 10.1 million euros.
In relation to the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which has been approved by the European Commission, the responsible Minister said that 7 actions are included, which will be implemented directly by his Ministry, with a total budget of 17.6 million euros, as well as 12 actions of a total budget of 50 million euros, which will be implemented by OKYpY, OAU and the National Electronic Health Authority.
Budget increased by 5%
In as for the budget of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Hatzipantela stated that it is increased by 5% compared to 2022, with the total costs budgeted at 1.1 billion euros.
Furthermore, He stated that the budget of the Ministry of Health for 2023 constitutes 11% of the total State Budget, while noting that it is at the same level as the previous two years.
Mr Hadjipantela explained to the Finance Committee that the actual expenditure of 2021 amounted to €1.1 billion, having achieved almost full implementation of the budget and the actions included in it, while remaining at the same levels as his budget 2022.
Regarding the development costs of the budget for 2023, they mainly concern the projects of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the construction of the new building of the State Chemistry, while he noted that the regular budget costs amount to €1,131,639,066 and the development costs to € 7,164,848.
Meanwhile, as he said, the total revenues of the budget are estimated at 293 million euros, of which 266 million refer to the remuneration of the staff, who are seconded to the State Health Services Organization (OKYpY).
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Doctors outside the NHS
Speaking before the Finance Committee, the Minister of Health said that the issue for non-GeSy doctors, who performed medical procedures in GeSy hospitals, has been settled because no extension has been given by the Ministry of Health and the OAU.
As he said, there is an ongoing judicial process and his Ministry will respect any decision taken by the Courts.
Implementation of OKYpY development projects
< p>Referring to the issue of the implementation of OKYpY development projects and where their completion is at stake, he spoke of a “broken phone”, explaining that “public projects must be in close cooperation with OKypY for the implementation of these projects”.
“Several times there is a broken phone between OKYpY and public works”, said the Minister of Health, to note that last Wednesday he had a meeting with the Minister of Transport, Yannis Karousos, about the Troodos and Larnacos Hospitals, but also about the Hemodialysis Department at Paphos Hospital, for which there is a delay.
Creation of a Hepatology Clinic
Furthermore, in response to questions from members of parliament, he stated that whenever an attempt is made to create a hepatology clinic, the first to react are doctors practicing hepatology, who according to the Minister present themselves as an “expert” in hepatology.
According to Mr. Hatzipantela, at the end of the month, doctors from the United Kingdom will arrive in Cyprus to see the OKYpY facilities, to decide whether a hepatology clinic can be established in Cyprus.
< b>Children's First Aid Operation before May 1, 2023
In relation to the operation of Children's First Aid, Mr. Hatzipantela said that “every time the Ministry tries to operate Children's First Aid, the doctors with the most work react and want it to be done away from them to save work”.
He stated that there will be a meeting in the next ten days with the OKYPY and the doctors' guilds, with the aim of implementing the Department before the 1st of May 2023.
Purchase of private Hospitals by investment funds
Called to comment on the acquisitions of private Hospitals by investment funds, he expresses his assessment that the Competition Protection Committee is competent to intervene in this matter.
He said that “if the double porting of the hospital market inside and outside the NHS continues”, then it is up to the OAU and the Ministry to deal with it and suspend operating licenses of hospitals.
Abuses in the NHS are problematic< /b>
Referring to the issue, he said that he was troubled by the abuses in the health system, to note that “the problem has not been solved”.
However, he added that some moves were made from OAU in the right direction, to note that “some doctors were expelled from the health system, after evidence and suspicions against them emerged for abuses”.
“At the same time”, he said, “we moved forward with the inclusion of new hospitals in the system, such as Hippocrate which joined last September and some Hemodialysis Centers throughout Cyprus”.
Inclusion of 200 medicines in the system until May 2023
In relation to the inclusion of new drugs in the health system, Mr. Hatzipantela spoke of a “big bet”, explaining that several meetings and consultations have taken place.
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“I think that the time has come at the next meeting, which we will have at the end of the month with the OAU, to find ways to include all the drugs that are not in the system at this particular moment”.
The Minister Health talked about more than 200 medicines, which are not included in the system, so he emphasized that a solution must be found for their inclusion in the system.
“Before May 2023 we will fit them in and it is a bet. Consultations are taking place”, he said specifically.
He mentioned that the Pharmaceutical Services and the OAU agreed to prepare two lists of drugs and that one will include the drugs that will be included in the system by the end of the year and the other will include those that will be included in May 2023.
Goals of the Ministry of Health for 2023-2025
Mr. Hatzipantela also pointed out that the main strategic goals that have been determined based on the Strategic Plan of his Ministry, for the three years 2023-2025, concern the restructuring of the Health System of Cyprus, the strengthening and upgrading of Electronic Health (e-Health ), in strengthening the active and effective presence in European and international affairs, in the promotion of Health promotion and disease prevention throughout life and in the development of Research, Technological Development and Innovation activities.
Declarations of MPs
The President of the Health Committee of the Parliament, Efthymios Diplaros, expressed his party's satisfaction because it has been established that there is a vision and strategic goals, expressing the certainty that they will be implemented in depth time.
AKEL MP, Marina Nikolaou, said that the Minister of Health's public admission today about the problems in public hospitals is proof of their “criminal abandonment” by the Anastasiades government.
DIKO MP, Chrysanthos Savvidis, denounced the lack of comprehensive planning, while pointing out that public hospitals are suffocating, there is a lack of staff and, as he said, strengthening of primary care in the countryside is needed.
The MP of EDEK, Andreas Apostolou, welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Health that there is a specific fund in the 2023 budget and it concerns the National Cancer Commission and the start of the establishment of the Cyprus Cancer Institute, to add that from the new year “the Cyprus is entering another pleasant process to finally realize this commitment to cancer patients.
The MP of DIPA, Michalis Giakoumis, said that with particular satisfaction they have found that expenses are included in the budget, which contribute to the upgrading of the health system, however, he noted that “there are issues that need further investigation, such as the inclusion of medical professions in NHS, such as podiatrists and podiatrists”, an issue for which he recommended its examination to the Parliament's Health Committee.
Budget of the Office of the NHS Oversight Commissioner
< p>Furthermore, the Finance Committee also discussed the budget of the Office of the Oversight Commissioner GeSY.
Specifically, the Commissioner Christodoulos Kaisis said in front of the deputies that the budget for which approval is requested concerns “the most necessary” and is indicative since it is a new service, which has not yet been fully staffed. summary in the budget of an indicative amount for the creation of service plans.
