The Pancyprian Union of Government Doctors (PASYKI) has strongly condemned recent statements by OKYPY spokesman and Nursing Services Director Charalambos Charilaou that “doctors have no say and don’t know the numbers”.
PASYKI described the comments as institutional overreach, an attempt to silence the medical corps, and a serious undermining of doctors’ role and responsibilities.
“Doctors bear full medical, civil, criminal and disciplinary liability”
The union stressed that doctors who head clinics carry administrative responsibility and are legally obliged to highlight irregularities, risks, and shortages that affect patient safety.
It called any ignorance of these facts “extremely worrying”.
Frontline reality vs central administration
PASYKI underlined that its members on the front line do not speak theoretically – they document double shifts, exhausting overtime, and critical staffing gaps every day.
Attempts by OKYPY’s central administration to discredit these facts through its spokesman are “unfair, wrong, dangerous and deeply offensive” to those carrying the burden of keeping public hospitals running, the union said.
OKYPY’s own admission confirms understaffing
The union noted that OKYPY’s recent acknowledgement of 70 vacancies officially confirms the doctors’ warnings rather than refuting them.
Call for retraction and action
PASYKI demanded that OKYPY’s leadership:
- Take responsibility instead of hiding behind the spokesman
- Remind him of the limits of his institutional role
- Withdraw the statements
- Focus on the real issues: understaffing, shift overload, and patient safety
Also read: Archdiocese: Reports misleading – Church continues to support education
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@sigmaliveen.
