A foreign consultancy will evaluate Cyprus’s healthcare, focusing first on hospitals and pharmacies to improve service effectiveness and forecast needs. The study will guide policies, alongside new legislation for provider licensing, aiming to enhance quality, efficiency, and sustainability of the system.
A foreign healthcare consultancy has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive evaluation of Cyprus’s national health system, with findings and assessment tools to be delivered by the end of the year. The initial phase will concentrate on hospital care and pharmacies—two sectors identified as pivotal due to their central roles and recent issues, such as congestion in the pharmacy sector. This assessment comes nearly six years after the introduction of the General Healthcare System (GHS), a period marked by substantial investment and significant changes in how healthcare is delivered across Cyprus1.
The primary goal is to establish mechanisms for evaluating the operational effectiveness of healthcare providers and accurately forecasting future service requirements, thereby ensuring sufficient and balanced service provision for all citizens. The Health Insurance Organization (HIO), under Director Iphigenia Kammitsi, underscores the need to address both quantitative and qualitative adequacy of providers to meet evolving patient needs, as well as the necessity of preventing both shortages and oversupply to maintain system sustainability1. The study will examine the current state of hospital and pharmacy services, incorporate lessons from international best practices, and develop strategic planning tools to guide future policy. Concurrently, legislative reforms are being advanced to regulate and standardize operations across broader healthcare facilities through provider licensing and structured supervision, areas heretofore lacking in Cyprus. Findings from the consultancy will inform HIO’s decisions regarding the introduction of new policies aimed at enhancing the efficiency, quality, and sustainability of Cyprus’s healthcare system.
