Overcrowding and staff shortages
The Pancyprian Nurses’ Union (PASYNO) has raised the alarm over the critical state of the Accident and Emergency Departments at Nicosia and Larnaca General Hospitals.
The union highlighted that a rapid increase in patient arrivals, combined with chronic understaffing, has turned nurses’ shifts into “a daily survival struggle.” They emphasised, “The situation is not difficult; it is dangerous.”
Burnout and patient risk
According to PASYNO, emergency wards are overcrowded, with waiting times soaring and public frustration growing. Nurses routinely manage double the expected patient load, increasing the risk of errors. Professional burnout is now “the norm, not the exception,” directly undermining the quality of care provided.
Criticism of management response
The union criticised the Cyprus Health Organisation (OKYpY) for relying on accounting approaches and half-measures instead of hiring specialised staff. “Patchwork solutions only shift the problem rather than solve it,” PASYNO stated.
Call for urgent action
PASYNO stressed that nurses should not bear the consequences of administrative failures. “Public health is not numbers in balance sheets; it is the lives of our fellow citizens,” they said.
The union warned that patience has run out and, unless immediate, tangible solutions are implemented, it is ready to take measures to protect nurses’ dignity and patient safety.
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