Nursing Staff Strikes Loom Over Cyprus Public Hospitals
In a recent broadcast on Radio Trito, Prodromos Argyrides, deputy general secretary of the trade union Pasydy, raised concerns over the persistent understaffing issues plaguing public hospitals in Cyprus. Argyrides highlighted that the agreement made with the state health service, Okypy, in February 2023 concerning nurse staffing levels has not been fulfilled, particularly affecting the nurses.
Argyrides emphasized that the number of nurses continues to dwindle without justification and that replacements for staff on various forms of leave are not being provided. He pointed out an urgent need to recruit over 170 nurses and disclosed that Okypy has until Monday to present a plan to resolve these issues. Additionally, he alluded to unnamed individuals allegedly using coercion tactics against nurses and their managers to discourage protests.
In response, Okypy spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou defended the organization, stating that it employs the highest number of nurses in the country and manages a significant portion of the beds under the national health scheme, Gesy. He acknowledged some departments might be short-staffed, while others have excess personnel, underscoring Okypy’s objective to optimize the use of existing nursing staff.
Charilaou firmly refuted any claims of intimidation towards nursing staff and assured that union demands would be considered. He expressed optimism about reaching a compromise to prevent potential strikes.
On the preceding Wednesday, Pasydy issued a statement addressing what it perceives as the health ministry’s lack of action towards the critical staffing shortages exacerbated by resignations, transfers, and extended leaves. The union stressed its commitment to ensuring safe and dignified healthcare for patients in public hospitals and maintaining adequate working conditions for its members. Pasydy, along with other nursing trade unions, is prepared to take decisive action to press the health ministry into seriously tackling the nursing staff strikes and staffing concerns.
