IT TAKES multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers months to see a doctor due to lack of staff at the Institute of Neurology and Genetics.
Others have to resort to the private sector, at a massive cost, to get an MRI scan; necessary to help doctors asses their situation and administer the best possible therapy. The scan is offered for free by the state, but it can take months to get an appointment.
These were just some of the issues raised yesterday by the Cyprus Multiple Sclerosis Association (CMSA) as part of this year’s MS sensitisation week, which started last Saturday and will end on May 30.
The main aim of this designated week is to offer information to MS sufferers and their families on the appropriate therapies, the support offered to patients and their smooth integration in society.
Established in 1986, CMSA works on a volunteer basis and is joined by 562 members, the vast majority of whom are MS patients.
“Our most significant goal is to attract new members so we can share with them their anxieties and fears, and attempt to stand by them, offering physiotherapy, advice and psychological support,” the Association announced yesterday.
It called on the Health and Labour Ministries – in charge of MS issues – to make a few changes that it feels would make Cypriot sufferers’ lives much more bearable.
For a start, it has requested an increase in human resources for the Institute of Neurology and Genetics, which CMSA says is seriously understaffed, resulting in very brief consultations and patients feeling that they are not being offered the necessary medical attention.
This also leads to massive waiting lists, which result in patients having to wait six or seven months until their next consultation.
“There is no ambulance to serve people with serious mobility problems when they need to visit doctors, resulting in them having to pay large sums for their transportation,” CMSA pointed out.
It called for the creation of a Neurological Ward at Nicosia General Hospital, so patients can be treated by neurologists as well as doctors specialising in other fields, if needs be.
“We are asking for our patients, beneficiaries of free medical treatment in state hospitals, to have the right to choose the medical centre they wish to be treated in, with the choice of private hospitals or clinics and that this is covered by the state, as based on the 2004 Law for Protecting Patients’ Rights, patients have the right to choose and change the medical institution they are being treated in.”
Another important issue the Association is demanding the Health Ministry does something about is MRI scans.
Apparently it takes patients so long to have their free MRI scan, they more often than not resort to paying for one in the private sector, as the scan is imperative for their doctor to decide what therapy to administer.
Finally, the Health Ministry is being asked to investigate the reasons why some patients are being rejected by the Medical Council to receive the drug Natalizumab (Tysabri), without being given any reason.
From the Labour Ministry, CMSA requests a specific programme to help MS sufferers integrate in the workforce.
It also asks for an end to the huge delays in approving public benefits, as some patients barely have the resources to cover their basic needs.
To offer MS sufferers disabled parking cards.
To contact CMSA, email: [email protected]
WHAT IS MS?
MS is one of the most common neurological conditions and it usually affects young adults; more commonly females.
The immune system attacks the central nervous system, leading to demyelisation – nerve damage that impairs a sufferer’s sensation, movement, cognition or other functions, depending on the nerves involved.
It is estimated that around 2.5 million people suffer from MS worldwide, with two thirds of them being women. In Cyprus, there are between 1,200 and 1,300 people suffering from the condition.
The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) – the international MS body established in 1967 that coordinates all MS national organisations in the world – has decided that from next year on, International Multiple Sclerosis Day will be established on the last Wednesday in May.
The Day’s slogan will be: Unite with the International Movement. Put an end to Multiple Sclerosis.
