Philenews

OKYpY and Private Hospitals Ready to Clash – Disputes in Parliament over Medical Specialties

Published March 5, 2026, 12:12
OKYpY and Private Hospitals Ready to Clash – Disputes in Parliament over Medical Specialties

The State Health Services Organisation (SHSO) and private hospitals are at odds over the bill to establish university clinics. Private clinics are seeking to be substantially included in the bill, beyond a simple mention in the title, while the SHSO opposes this, characterising the potential expansion of clinics as the creation of “health kiosks” on every corner. The Pan-Cypriot Association of Private Hospitals (PASIN) argues that the bill should apply to all healthcare providers, while also seeking to avoid the exclusion of the private sector from the granting of medical specialties. It points out that certain conditions of the bill, such as the operation of A&E departments, are not acceptable to the private sector. The executive director of the SHSO, Kypros Stavridis, strongly opposed PASIN’s proposal, expressing fears that expanding specialties to more hospitals would lead to a decline in the quality of services and the creation of small, understaffed clinics. This disagreement highlights the tensions between the public and private healthcare sectors in Cyprus, regarding access to medical specialties and the development of the healthcare system.