**Cabinet Approves Grants for Nursing Students to Address Staffing Shortage**
In a significant move to tackle the ongoing shortage of nursing staff in Cyprus, the Cabinet has approved a new annual grant scheme for undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides announced the initiative following a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, emphasizing its importance in strengthening the country’s healthcare sector.
The grant scheme is set to commence in the 2026-27 academic year and will be accessible to both new and existing students enrolled in recognized nursing and midwifery programs at higher education institutions in Cyprus. Minister Charalambides stated, “Our aim is to provide meaningful incentives for young people to choose nursing and midwifery as their professional path, contributing to ensuring adequate staffing of healthcare structures.”
Under the new scheme, students will receive financial support on a sliding scale throughout their studies. The grant amounts will increase progressively: €1,000 for the first year, €1,250 for the second year, €1,500 for the third year, and €2,000 for the fourth year. To qualify for the grant, applicants must be permanent residents of Cyprus and enrolled in an accredited program, regardless of their financial circumstances.
In exchange for the financial support, recipients will be required to work for two years in healthcare institutions within Cyprus after completing their studies. Minister Charalambides noted that this decision is part of a broader strategy by the Ministry of Health to address the nursing staff shortage effectively.
The Minister highlighted ongoing initiatives, including awareness campaigns targeting final-year secondary school students and a focused communications campaign that has been running for three years. According to Charalambides, these efforts have successfully doubled the number of undergraduate nursing students over the past two years.
The government remains committed to implementing further initiatives aimed at bolstering the healthcare workforce. These include scholarships from private hospitals in exchange for post-graduation employment, a fast-track training program for healthcare assistants, and various legislative amendments currently under consideration by Parliament.
The introduction of the grant scheme has been met with approval from the Cyprus Federation of Patient Associations (Osak), which described it as a positive step towards enhancing the healthcare workforce. The federation pointed out that the shortage of nurses has been impacting all healthcare providers and has delayed the implementation of crucial legislation related to community nursing, palliative care, and rehabilitation services.
Osak cautioned that without sufficient nursing staff, rehabilitation and recovery centers would struggle to obtain licenses and operate under the national healthcare system (Gesy). The federation stressed that the lack of available nurses undermines the effectiveness of existing legislation, ultimately affecting patient services.
While welcoming the grant scheme, Osak urged that it should be viewed as an initial step rather than a comprehensive solution. The federation also called on young people to consider nursing as a viable career option and urged employers and the state to enhance working conditions for nurses. Measures that help nurses balance their professional and family responsibilities are deemed essential to support a profession that is critical to the healthcare services provided to Cypriot patients.
As the government moves forward with this initiative, it aims not only to alleviate the current staffing crisis but also to ensure a robust and resilient healthcare system for the future.