Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING) is a model to be followed in the reform of public medical institutions, Minister of Health Philippos Patsalis said on Tuesday.
Patsalis, who was speaking during a presentation of the work achieved by CING, said that “in these times when the country needs major reforms and political decisions have been made very recently for the introduction of an NHS system and the complete reform of hospitals and other sectors of health in Cyprus, this experience that I gained here at the Institute was very beneficial”.
Before his appointment as Minister of Health in 2014 Patsalis he had served as Chief Executive Medical Director of CING since 2007.
“When we reform our hospitals, our medical centres in the country, we will do it using as a model the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, a centre that carries out excellent work not only in the medical services but also in education and research”, he noted.
Patsalis continued to says that the aim is to structure the public medical centres in the country in a similar way as the institute that is to say “fully autonomous, with very high standards and built based on international standards”.
“Our country is at the moment in a process of major reforms and we will all have to contribute in this”, he said, adding that the contribution of CING is a major one.
He assured that the government will stand behind the efforts of the Institute and the School. “I will never stop promoting this work and the opportunities which arise from the Institute not only in Cyprus but also abroad”, he said.
At the same time Patsalis encouraged the ambassadors to work closely and to identify opportunities through CING and the School of Molecular Medicine for education in the region or Europe in the field particularly of molecular medicine.
Acting Chief Executive Medical Director of the Institute Leonidas Phylactou presented the vision of CING to be a specialised medical, research and academic centre and to function as an international centre of excellence and a regional referral centre in the areas of neurology, genetics and biomedical sciences.
He stressed the importance of the simultaneous development of education, services and research, noting that the three aspects are inter-related and that they enter “into a positive feedback loop with maximum benefits for the people”.
The Institute, he said, inter alia “has been recognised as an international centre of excellence and an example to be followed”.
CING receives international recognition for the work and its scientific achievements which benefit our patients, students, the society, our country and the humanity in general, Phylactou said.
On his part Greek Ambassador in Nicosia, Vassilis Papaioannou, said that “I take note of the fact that the Institute has since its establishment developed an outstanding achievement in its particular field.
“Our presence underlines our interest to promote whenever possible bilateral cooperation in this field”, he noted.
