X-ray disputes flares up again at hospital

THE ROW between Nicosia hospital’s orthopaedic and radiography departments has reignited, with doctors threatening to boycott surgeries unless the problem is resolved.

Only three weeks into the truce, which was called after Health Minister Christos Patsallides was forced to step in to terminate the ongoing dispute, both sides are back at each other’s throats.

The row, which involved the cancellation of orthopaedic surgical procedures, was between orthopaedic doctors and radiographers. The former said they could not operate on patients without the presence of radiographers to provide the necessary x-rays, while radiographers said their presence was unnecessary.

Eventually, a compromise was reached that radiographers would only remain in theatre for very serious procedures. The general consensus was that of the eight people present during a simple surgical procedure, one was capable of pressing the necessary button once the x-ray machine had been set beforehand.

However, on Wednesday five orthopaedic surgeries were performed with radiographers only present for the first few minutes. According to them, this was what had been agree with the minister.

But the surgeons said a number of those patients had been receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit. Due to the seriousness of their conditions, the radiographers’ continuous presence in theatre was deemed necessary, the doctors said.

Because of this, tensions on both sides escalated once more, with radiographers claiming they had not been informed of the seriousness of the surgical cases.

The doctors are apparently annoyed with the radiographers’’ attitude, while the latter are adamant that they are doing nothing more or less than what was agreed during the October 8 meeting with the Health Minister.

Earlier this month, Patsallides expressed his displeasure at being called in to settle what should have been an in-house hospital dispute. The compromise is up for review in two and half months’ time, though this could be sooner following Wednesday’s disagreement.

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