Private hospitals to handle urgent non-COVID-19 patients

2780 views
1 min read

In a bid to ease pressure on public hospitals overwhelmed with handling Cyprus coronavirus cases, state health services organisation OKYPY has decided that the private sector will treat all urgent cases unrelated to COVID-19.

OKYPY announced on Wednesday that all urgent cases will be referred to private hospitals to be treated by their emergency departments.

Patients will either be transferred there by ambulances or can directly go there on their own.

Also, private hospitals will be carrying out all urgent surgeries which cannot be carried out in state hospitals during the crisis.

Suspected coronavirus cases will only be handled by state hospitals.

OKYPY stressed, however, that state health services will not be covering the costs of any patient who seeks help from the private sector, who does not fall into the stated categories.

It urged people to seek advice from their General Practitioner.

Those who had outpatient appointments cancelled are urged to re-book directly with specialists who are registered under the General Health Scheme or contact their GP for further advice.

“Both GPs and specialists are obliged to serve these patients,” OKYPY said.

OKYPY said patients whose urgent surgery has been cancelled, should have been contacted by the hospital in question to be given a new date.

If they have not yet been contacted, they are urged to call their attending doctor at state hospitals to look into their case.

In the case they are not able to find their doctor, patients are urged to contact the OKYPY executive director of their district.

Patients who have had surgery cancelled or were previously categorised as a non-urgent case, but see their condition worsen, should contact their doctor or GP for further guidance.