Well being Minister Michalis Damianos and the Deputy Well being Minister of Greece, Marios Themistocleous, signed an up to date public well being settlement in Nicosia on Monday.
The settlement contains the enhancement of medical coaching in Cyprus and the mutual recognition of specialisations. Moreover, it covers the cooperation of each nations in acquiring pharmaceutical merchandise to deal with shortages and potential collective buying the place potential, in addition to growing cooperation on pharmaceutical rules.
“The settlement helps Cyprus within the occasion of shortages as we have now a a lot larger market to purchase from,” Damianos informed the Cyprus Mail.
He stated that there have been two major areas of concern: firstly, the acquisition of prescription drugs and secondly, the advance of the system of awarding specialisations to medical doctors on the island.
Relating to the acquisition of medicines, Damianos stated this could be facilitated by permitting the Well being Insurance coverage Company (HIO) to buy medicines straight from Greece if crucial, and by permitting joint procurement of medicines at higher costs for each nations.
As for the advance within the awarding of specialisations, the minister defined that any further, professionals will be capable to take an examination in Greece after which obtain a certificates approving their qualification.
Till now, medical doctors in Cyprus have solely been capable of concentrate on sure areas, similar to cardiology or psychiatry. Given the scale of the nation, the Cyprus Medical Council was unable to approve additional specialisations because of a scarcity of standardisation, testing capability and infrastructure similar to college hospitals.
Now medical doctors will be capable to research in Cyprus after which take an examination in Greece that may formally recognise their {qualifications}. This contains specialisations in infectious ailments or orthopaedics.
“That is to make sure that our specialists are certified to hold the title,” Damianou stated, including that it’s significantly necessary for the career because it forces medical doctors to take examinations that show their {qualifications} not solely in follow but additionally on paper.
Along with Monday’s settlement, Cyprus and Greece had signed two agreements on organ transplants in September 2024. The primary settlement involved cross-border kidney transplants and the second centered on lung transplants. In keeping with Themistocleos, sufferers in each nations have already benefitted from the treaty.
“We’re 5 years after the beginning of the pandemic, which confirmed in the obvious means that the well being sector, well being programs have been examined and can proceed to be examined by the continual challenges and we want the cooperation of all of us,” the Greek Well being Minister concluded after the ministers assembly.
The preliminary settlement dates again to 1987, was revised in 2011 and has now been up to date to match “the necessity for modernisation and adaptation to trendy necessities”.
