Cypriot patients to be referred to Greece

Health Minister Stavros Malas and his Greek counterpart Andreas Loverdos said they decided at a meeting in Nicosia that Cypriot patients who need treatment abroad, which cannot be offered in Cyprus, will be referred to specialised private or public medical centres in Greece.
Malas said that as a first step, children in need of heart surgery and children with oncology problems have already been referred to Greek medical centres.
He added that from now on liver transplants will take place in Greece and all liver transplants from Cyprus will be sent to Greece.
On his part, Loverdos said that cooperation between the two countries in the field of transplants is already in place and added that Cyprus is a pioneer country worldwide in the field of kidney transplants.
He noted that the number of transplants in Greece has fallen during the past years due to false impressions created by the media that official transplant centres may be involved in illegal trafficking of body organs. He noted that in 2011 the number of organ donors increased.
Loverdos said the aim is to make Greece the country which accepts more Cypriot patients than any other. Now, he added, it is the third after the UK and Israel.