Government Seeks New Storage for Medicines After Flood Incident
In the wake of a costly flood that damaged a significant amount of medical supplies, the Cypriot government is actively looking for a new location to store medicines, according to government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis. The search for a new premises has been a collaborative effort between Health Minister Michael Damianos and Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, with a focus on identifying a suitable state-owned property for this purpose.
Letymbiotis highlighted that the initiative to find alternative storage predates the recent flood, which resulted in losses exceeding €880,000. The incident has prompted a thorough investigation into the cause and the circumstances leading to such extensive damage. “Rest assured, as a government, we have repeatedly said that this matter must be fully investigated. We must look at why this happened,” Letymbiotis stated, emphasizing the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
The urgency of the situation was underscored by a revealing report submitted to Minister Damianos. It detailed the financial arrangements of the current premises, which involved leasing the property to a private contractor for €6,600 annually, only to be re-leased back to the ministry at an inflated rate of €135,000 per year—a staggering markup of over 2,000 percent.
Despite the setback caused by the flood, Damianos assured the public that Cyprus’ medicine supply remains secure. He confirmed that there is no shortage of medicines and that the country has adequate mechanisms in place both locally and internationally to maintain the supply chain. These measures are expected to prevent any immediate impact on the availability of medicines for Cypriots.
The government’s proactive steps to secure a new storage facility demonstrate its commitment to safeguarding public health infrastructure and ensuring that such losses are not repeated in the future.
