The Minister of Health refers to the MP G. Perdikis regarding the General Health System Laws, which were passed by the Parliament, regarding the services of health professionals that will be included in the second phase of implementation of the System and are: Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Physiotherapists Clinical Dietitians. The MP's question, of course, concerned the podiatrists who, in a letter from their Association, had applied to join the GESS, talking about a beneficial and necessary integration for patients, but also more cost-effective for the state. The association argues that in a modern health system it is necessary to include podiatrists, especially in Cyprus, where 11% of the population suffers from diabetes and is expected to have a problem in the lower extremities.
In his reply to the Parliament, K. Ioannou explains that the choice of the various professions that constitute the other health professionals (HEI) in GESS was decided with the contribution of the expert advisors of the Health Insurance Organization (McKinsey) during the design of the System. “At that time, the profession of Podiatrists / Podiatrists was not legally regulated in Cyprus,” he said, noting, however, that “the effective operation of the GESS will be evaluated on an ongoing basis and in the future, if necessary, health care services and other professions, including the profession of podiatrist / podiatrist “.
In particular, the Minister of Health emphasizes that the inclusion of the existing categories of other health professions in the Legislation is a proposal of the OAY for the operation of the second phase of GESS. The intention of the Organization is to examine and enrich it in the future, depending on the course of the GESS and the needs of the beneficiaries.
