Zampelas denies doctors have been fired

NICOSIA Mayor Michalakis Zampelas yesterday denied that two senior neurologists at the Neurology and Genetics Institute had received termination notices.

Instead, Zampelas, who is Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Institute, said two doctors had been told to abandon their private practices by December.

“Doctors working at the institute are not allowed to practice privately unless patients are seen at the Institute and then charged through the Institute,” he said. “This is an old problem and has existed since the beginning of these doctors’ appointment several years ago, but it cannot continue any more. We have asked them to put their house in order. They were not, however, given notices of dismissal.”

If the specialists complied, the matter would be dropped, he added.

Nevertheless, sources close to the doctors said both neurologists had received termination notices for their services as of December 1 and that one of them had warned legal action would follow.

Zampelas appeared unconcerned at the thought of a lawsuit, telling the Sunday Mail: “Let them take legal action.”

The Nicosia mayor added that a team of international scientific directors from the US, UK and Australia had presented the board of directors with a progress report on the Institute.
“We’ve accepted the report and now we’re waiting to see what to do,” he said.

The Neurology and Genetics Institute is no stranger to rifts between staff and management. This time last year 11 members of the scientific council called for the immediate removal of its chairman, Dr Andis Nicolaides, over claims that Nicolaides had bypassed standard procedures and made decisions without first consulting the council. The matter was taken to the House of Representatives, but the council members’ demands were not met.

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