The Well being Insurance coverage Organisation (HIO) warned on Monday that the absence of sufficient infrastructure for aged care might compromise the efficient functioning of the healthcare system in Cyprus.
A report launched by the HIO final week warned of the dearth of specialized care amenities for sufferers, particularly the aged, who can not return residence after hospital therapy, and mentioned it’s at present hampering the operation of hospitals across the island.
“Hospitals working with the nationwide well being scheme Gesy are dealing with vital challenges as they typically must retain sufferers longer than vital as a result of their households both can not or refuse to switch them to different amenities, whether or not care properties or personal residences,” the report mentioned, including that the state of affairs leads to pointless occupancy of hospital beds, delaying the admission and therapy of different sufferers.
“The effectivity of the system is compromised as hospital beds will not be used optimally, being occupied by companies basically exterior the system,” the HIO report continued, including that public hospitals managed by the State Well being Companies Organisation (Okypy), largely bear the brunt of the repeated overstays. The common size of keep in public hospitals is roughly 5 days, in comparison with the 2 and a half in personal hospitals and clinics.
In accordance with reviews on native media, the escalating drawback prompted the HIO to seek out options, resembling charging sufferers for every further day they keep after their discharge, as decided by their attending doctor. The transfer can be meant to push the sufferers’ households to seek out various care preparations promptly.
Nonetheless, the information that sufferers might be charged for his or her overstay in hospitals was denied on Monday by the HIO, which mentioned the organisation doesn’t have the facility, nor the need to take action.
“The HIO has by no means charged sufferers for staying in hospital longer than both vital or anticipated,” an organisation spokesperson informed the Cyprus Mail.
“This goes immediately in opposition to our directives and our rules too.”
That mentioned, the spokesperson admitted that the overstay of sufferers, notably so far as public hospitals are involved, is an ongoing situation, each for the HIO and for the well being ministry.
“This subject is being continually mentioned and there are ongoing makes an attempt to enhance the state of affairs, as a result of it urgently wants rectifying.”
