SINCE IT opened three years ago the new Nicosia General Hospital has had 640,988 outpatient visits, 365,892 visits Accidents and Emergencies and 80,317 inpatients, Health Minister Christos Patsaides said yesterday.
The figures translate into 300 visits on average per day to First Aid, 585 visits per day to the hospital’s outpatients’ clinics, and it has had on average 73 inpatients a day.
The Minister was speaking at a news conference to review the hospital’s performance, which he described as a success despite the complaints by patients and staff.
“The hospital’s contribution is great, valuable and multi-faceted despite the series of problems it faces, despite the protests by staff that at times are heard for the various shortages faced, and the complaints that from time to time are recorded among the patients,” Patsalides said.
“Complaints and protests cannot overshadow in the least the endless contribution and the invaluable service to thousands of people who visited the hospital, the majority of which remain absolutely satisfied with the level of service they received,” he added.
He said the Ministry had launched a website for the hospital and was publishing annual progress reports.
“I am certain that these two sources of information will be used by the public as an aid for accessing the information they need to know for the services offered and the means that Nicosia General Hospital possesses,” said Patsalides.
Patsalides also announced that a series of reform measures to be taken would upgrade the level of service provided at the hospital and in other public hospitals around the island.
Patsalides also referred to the upcoming reforms in the public health sector, through the enforcement of the General Health System that will see public hospitals transformed into autonomous units.
“The preparation of a bill has already been completed for the creation of a Management Organisation for Public Hospitals as a Public Entity, based on guidelines approved by the Council of Ministers,” he said.
The new Nicosia General Hospital opened its doors in October 2006, four years behind schedule and tens of millions of euros over budget, prompting the late President Tassos Papadopoulos to describe it as the “biggest scandal in the history of the Republic”.
Since then among the many problems that have emerged was the revelation that every single window – some 8,000 square metres of glass would have to be replaced because the original building specifications did not take heat efficiency into account.
This meant the state was paying higher than necessary energy costs throughout the year, for both heating and air-conditioning. The windows are being replaced with more heat-efficient double-glazing.
