By Andrew Adamides
OPPOSITION communist party Akel yesterday condemned the government’s handling of the controversial health service scheme, echoing public servants’ union Pasydy in saying it should not have been tabled before full consultations had been carried out.
Speaking yesterday, Akel deputy and Health Committee member Kyriakos Tyrimos said that, although Akel was not against the health plan in principle, they did not approve of the way the government had gone about pushing it forward.
He said Akel would do “everything we can” and work with the government for the plan’s success, but that it would do this in a “responsible” way, as the policy would be an extension of the government’s overall social policy and should express the right of everyone to hospital treatment.
But he added that, “from the moment” there was a difference of opinion between the government and the civil servants, the Health Ministry should have entered negotiations and not just pushed ahead with tabling the bill before the House.
Civil servants went on strike for two hours in protest at the plan on Thursday, just as the government sent draft legislation for its implementation to the House.
Tyrimos said he would not be surprised if the Health Committee decided that the proposal required further work and returned it for further consultation.
Public sector union Pasydy is concerned that contributions made to the scheme from its members’ wages will exceed those they already pay to their union schemes and deprive them of the free government-provided healthcare they enjoy at present.
Another member of the Health committee, governing Disy Deputy Andreas Parisinos, said yesterday that the bill would be carefully studied by the House, with opinions garnered from all sides.
But he added that, if differences over the plan couldn’t be resolved, the government would take the final decisions on the plan.
“Of course, our goal will be to succeed in getting everyone’s consent,” he added.
“It’s a leap forward, and in order for it to be successful, it has to be embraced with love and genuine interest by all those who will eventually become involved in its implementation,” Parisinos reasoned.
If needed, he continued, the Health Committee would form subcommittees to deal with particular problems, should any arise. But he said he didn’t think this would be necessary because he felt confident that all members of the committee would be able to work well together.
Action taken by the committee would, he assured, be effective and swift.
Health Minister Christos Solomis has said he expects the bill to be approved within a year to 18 months, and that a further five years will then be necessary to phase it in.
He said yesterday that studies, negotiations and visits by experts in preparation for the National Health Service had been going on “for 15 years, the last eight intensively.”
He added that while he recognised that negotiations should continue, everyone except Pasydy seemed to be in favour of the plan. And he pointed out that government doctors were in favour of the plan. Pasydy claims the doctors would be among the hardest hit under the new proposals, as their working conditions would be seriously affected. But the doctors are no longer represented by Pasydy after an acrimonious split last year.
Under the current proposals, an independent body will be set up to run the health scheme, to which both employers and employees will contribute. Its cost is estimated at around £200 million a year.
