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- Ελληνικά
The presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic at today's event to pay tribute to the "Christina A. Apostolou", highlights the great importance that the present administration attaches to volunteerism, especially when it relates to the health sector.
The health of the citizens is a primary concern of the State and for this purpose the General Health System (GHS) has been established, which we continue to strengthen and expand.
However, being a small country, sometimes we do not have the necessary structures for specialized cases, nor the number of such cases to ensure their effective treatment here in Cyprus. The State has a duty to provide its citizens with the necessary health services, regardless of the structures of the General Health Service.
In this context, i.e. to further support patients who go abroad for treatment, the government - as we heard before from the President of the Republic himself - intends to cover travel, accommodation and food expenses of the patients and their accompanying person within the framework of the Financial Assistance Scheme for Health Services not offered in the public sector.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The difficult part of handling cases that cannot be served in Cyprus is particularly complex and often urgent. For this purpose, there is a Subsidized Patients Section in the Ministry of Health, supported by the Health Officer, who is based at the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Berlin under the guidance of the Director General. The Section in question works tirelessly around the clock without extra pay to help our fellow citizens who need access to this specialized care. The Subsidized Patients Division possesses the expertise and know-how to deal with these cases. The urgent nature of the cases requires immediate and effective treatment, which is achieved along with equal treatment, transparency and non-discrimination, thanks to the methodical approach of the Director General and the procedures that have been put in place.
Patients' requests are examined by Committees of Specialists depending on the condition, which then give their opinion to the Director General of the Ministry of Health for a decision. Patients are sent to specialist centres abroad mainly through the country's National Health System and based, of course, on the expertise acquired. To give an example, in 2023, 1,523 cases were referred; in 2022, 1,255 cases; in 2021, 1,000 cases; and in 2020, 1,014 cases. These referrals are to university hospitals and referral centres in Germany and neighbouring Israel, mainly for neonatal cardiac surgery and other severe cases and burns, in France and England, mainly for liver transplants, in Belgium, in Sweden and in hospitals in Greece including Onassis for lung transplants.
The Ministry of Health has developed a wide and flexible network of partnerships with leading University Reference Hospitals abroad, which is activated for the immediate transfer to these centres of cases that cannot be treated in Cyprus.
Ladies and Gentlemen
As we all know, the institution of the family in Cyprus is strong and therefore, along with our fellow patient, his/her family is tested, often on the verge of physical, mental and financial exhaustion. At this point the decisive role played by the "Christina A. Apostolou Foundation", which for 18 consecutive years has been assisting these struggling families by providing support in various ways, becomes apparent. The help of the "Christina A. Apostolou Foundation" for many families was decisive, since it helped our suffering fellow human being to have his family by his side in the most difficult moments of his life.
In this context, I would like to congratulate and thank the "Christina A. Apostolou Foundation" for the work it carries out, supporting and complementing the work of the Ministry of Health in order to mitigate the health problems of our fellow human beings.
Thank you very much.
(NYAN/MS)
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