A patient who developed serious postoperative complications after undergoing a series of procedures at a private hospital went to the Emergency Department of Nicosia General Hospital for treatment.
The State Health Services Organisation (OKYPY) said its specialists never refused to provide the patient with the necessary medical care.
According to OKYPY, the case was assessed, and it was determined that, where medically feasible and safe, continuing the patient’s care at the private hospital by the team that had carried out the procedures was the appropriate option in terms of continuity of care.
The organisation said the medical team had direct knowledge of the patient’s medical history and the procedures that had already been performed.
Case discussed with private hospital
The case was discussed during a teleconference on Thursday involving doctors from Nicosia General Hospital, representatives of the private hospital and representatives of the Health Insurance Organisation.
OKYPY stressed that if the private hospital had been genuinely unable to provide the required care and the patient’s condition required management at Nicosia General Hospital, the case would have been taken over.
The organisation said this is what happens daily with serious and complex cases referred to public hospitals.
OKYPY rejects claims of refusal
In response to reports concerning the case, OKYPY reiterated that public hospitals, and particularly Nicosia General Hospital, the only quaternary hospital within the General Healthcare System (GeSY), do not refuse necessary care to any patient, regardless of the complexity or severity of their condition.
OKYPY said its mission is to provide timely and effective healthcare to those who need it, with patient safety and the protection of human life as priorities.
The organisation also noted that public hospitals frequently take over cases involving postoperative or other complications from the private sector.
It said that, during the current week alone, two patients with complications were transferred from a private GeSY hospital to Limassol General Hospital, where they were admitted and received the necessary care.
Questions raised over hospital standards
OKYPY reiterated its position that hospitals carrying out specific procedures must have the appropriate infrastructure, staffing and capacity to safely manage the cases they undertake, as well as complications that may reasonably arise from the services they provide.
According to the organisation, this should be based on the quality and safety requirements governing inpatient care within GeSY.
OKYPY said the wider issue raised by the case concerns the conditions under which specialised services are provided by hospitals operating within GeSY.
It questioned how an A1-category hospital can perform procedures but be unable to manage complications that may arise from them.
Public hospital doctors also regularly assist in managing complex cases arising in the private sector. OKYPY said, for example, that infectious disease specialists from public hospitals are available around the clock to private hospitals when their medical expertise is required.
OKYPY concluded that public hospitals remain the healthcare system’s safety net and a key pillar, and will continue to support every patient who requires their care, with safety, quality of treatment and the protection of human life as priorities.
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