HEALTH Minister Andreas Gavrielides said yesterday that moves to open the new Nicosia general hospital had already begun.
On Monday, movers went ahead with setting up the new facility’s nursing school and will continue with installing its clinic over the next few days, he said.
The radiology department would follow with the installation of its equipment, he told the Cyprus Mail.
“Bit by bit, different departments will start being moved to the new hospital. There has been a bit of a problem with the beds, as we’ve only received 80, but this should be sorted out shortly,” he said.
The Minister was not clear which departments would move and when, but said that over the next few days a lot of ground would be covered, noting that the move was in line with the timeframe he had outlined at the end of last year.
“We said the hospital would open some time during the first three months of this year,” said Gavrielides.
Regarding the Accident and Emergency department, the Minister said it was likely to move within the next 10 to 15 days. Nevertheless, he could not confirm when the new hospital would actually be up and running.
“I can’t say if the move will be complete at the end of the month, as it might very well run into April,” he added.
Despite various hiccups along the way, Gavrielides stood by his claim that the hospital would be the jewel of Cyprus’ medical profession.
He said: “Problems can be expected to arise in any project. What is important is that this is a new and modern hospital, with new clinics and new equipment. It is a state-of-the-art facility.”
The hospital has been a sore point for both the Health and Communication and Works Ministries after repeated delays in its completion and spiralling costs. Investigations have blamed mismanagement from day one.
The hospital has cost the state £90 million so far: £62 million for the building contractor, £8 million for other works and £20 million on equipment. The contractor is also demanding a further £110 million.
The incompetence and squandering of funds prompted President Papadopoulos to describe it last year as “the biggest scandal since the establishment of the Republic”.
The delays led to the appointment of an investigation committee, which recently handed over its findings to the Attorney-general to assess whether specific individuals could be held accountable.
Meanwhile, the House Watchdog Committee recently heard the non-operation of the new hospital was costing the state £25,000 daily due to running costs.
