The problems arising from the observed shortage and/or non-availability of certain drugs through GESY, the high cost of supplementation for the beneficiary and the discrepancy in the cost of medicines and medical consumables between the OAY and the Ministry of Health, were discussed today by a Parliamentary Committee .
In his statements after the meeting of the Committee, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Efthymios Diplaros, said that the discussion of the issue has not been exhausted, adding that it is a continuation of the two letters he has sent as Chairman of the Committee on Health to OAY for specific medicines and shortages, but also for the supplement, and the response they have received from the Health Insurance Agency.
from GESS in 2016 and the cost for these innovative drugs from 3 million which was the budget in 2016 when the Commission was set up, today has reached 80 million euros for 2022.
“It is with regret that we observe that if this Committee of Nominal Requests did not exist in the Ministry of Health under the direction of the Director General of the Ministry, we are very afraid we would lose human lives. We have categorically pointed out to the OAU that it should run all the procedures quickly, so that all these drugs can finally be included in the GESS protocol, so that patients can get them from the pharmacist at the price they have received, after all. other patients at the price set by the GESS “, he added.
Mr. Diplaros stated that they will continue the discussion in the next session, all the involved bodies will be heard./p>
“We have realized that there is a problem and we believe that with the pressure exerted by the Parliamentary Committee on Health, the OAY will run the procedures. The pandemic has left us and we think that some people should now run the processes much faster. It is with regret that almost all Members – and this was said in the Health Committee – we receive, daily complaints from patients, who are waiting to get their medicine and it does not exist. We believe that through the exhaustive discussion we will have we will help to resolve this issue “, he added.
He also said that they have clarified that the Health Committee will be against any abuse.
price than OAY. “All this will be discussed at the next meeting of the Health Committee”, he noted.
AKEL MP Nikos Kettiros, in his statements, said that one of the important issues, which were discussed today in the Health Committee, is the issue of shortages observed in medicines, but also in consumables.
” Every day we have complaints from patients that they do not find the medicines prescribed by their doctors, or that there are no consumables in hospitals or other health care units. “We discussed this issue at length today and stressed very strongly that we will not tolerate this situation continuing and that solutions must be found,” he added.
“Some, Mr. Kettiros continued, are lurking to hit the GESS, some are finding reasons for such incidents to hit the Health System and solutions should be found as soon as possible, if you want immediately, in order to address this issue.”/p>
“We will wait. We have given as much as we can, some suggestions for medicines, which may have to be provided through the System and we will wait until the 15th of June for the announcement of the new list of medicines by the Health Insurance Organization, so that we know how to place ourselves. or whether we should seek to add other medicines to this list, “he noted.
Continuing, Mr. Kettiros said that, “our primary concern is the interest of the patients and no one else, for this reason we will wait to see the list, we will study it and it is scheduled at the next meeting of the Commission to return to let's discuss this issue “.
DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvidis, in statements to him, said that they have heard that there are hospitals that do not have sheets, do not have blankets.
“Hospitals that are forced from other Provinces to send the sheets for washing to the General Hospital of Nicosia. Medicines that are not offered by GESS and patients need them. Pharmaceutical preparations whose cost has multiplied with the creation of GESS. We have heard it up to 10 times. Beneficiaries that before the GESS, patients were entitled to for free and today not “, he added.
As DIKO, continued Mr. Savvidis, they ask for more control over the import procedures of these drugs, to control the cost of these drugs, and also to finally increase the supply of innovative drugs, so that people can use modern medicines to treat their diseases.
“The biggest problem is faced by low-income retirees who are not beneficiaries of these innovative medicines and find it difficult to buy them”, he noted.
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The MP of DIPA – Cooperation, Michalis Giakoumi, in his statements said that unfortunately there are many complaints and grievances from patients.
“It has been reported that before the GESS were provided 1,300 medicines and after the GESS 2,100. The number of drugs provided may have increased but it is definitely better than before the GESS era but we can not deafen the voices of patients. Medicine is advancing, new, advanced drugs are coming out and the OAY must monitor the developments in medicine and upgrade the GESS. Only in this way can a quality health system be provided to the Cypriot citizens “, he added.
As he said,” something we have asked is about the prescription. There is a concern of ours since it should be based on the active substance and not the name of the drug “.
” We will listen to all the views on this issue and of course we will support the best for patients. The issue is not exhausted today. The discussion will continue in the next session. As DIPA-Cooperation, we believe that any problems must be solved immediately and we will try to contribute constructively in this direction “, he concluded.
Source: KYPE
