Family disputes HIO decision to end patient’s treatment abroad

Local doctorshealthTop News Family disputes HIO decision to end patient’s treatment abroad Giatros Me Astheni Relevant News MP warns underworld groups ‘have become emboldened’ in Cyprus 10 September 2026 Family disputes HIO decision to end patient’s treatment abroad 10 September 2026 UNFICYP commander withdrawn amid misconduct complaints, report says 10 September 2026 Marilena Panayi 10 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The family of a patient being treated at a specialised centre abroad is disputing the Health Insurance Organisation’s (HIO) decision not to approve a further extension of her treatment. It says it has received insufficient information about her care, and in an open letter, is seeking answers on where and under what conditions her care will continue after her planned repatriation. It adds that it has not been officially informed of the treatment programme secured for her in Cyprus, the medical team that would take charge of her care, or which unit she would be transferred to. The HIO attributes the rejection to its Council of Experts and Objections Council, which concluded that the services the patient receives abroad can also be provided in Cyprus. Her treating doctors had judged that she needed a specialised neurological rehabilitation programme after a serious accident and major medical and surgical interventions in Cyprus, the family says; the Ministry of Health then referred her for treatment abroad. What the family wants answered The open letter asks what specific medical and therapeutic evidence informed the decision that her treatment can continue in Cyprus. The treatment she is receiving is not general rehabilitation, the family says, but specialised early neurological rehabilitation for people with severe acquired brain injuries, disorders of consciousness or complex neurological and medical needs. “The critical comparison is not nominal but substantive,” the letter states. It also asks which specific unit in Cyprus would take over her care, whether an assessment and acceptance of her case has already taken place, and whether the proposed level of care can meet her existing needs. The family says it is particularly concerned by information that the HIO intends to organise an air ambulance transfer to bring the patient to Cyprus. No official notification or substantive consultation took place before the family learned of the planned repatriation, the letter says, and it found out from third parties rather than the HIO. Nor was it given reasonable time to weigh its options, the family says. It argues it should have had the chance, if it wished and it was feasible, to consider continuing her treatment at its own expense. In healthcare, the family warns, delay can have irreversible consequences, since time itself is part of the treatment. If an objection or legal appeal takes months or years to resolve, it argues, the right to appeal risks becoming merely theoretical once critical treatment time has already been lost. The family is calling, through the open letter, for the matter to be examined urgently by the parliamentary health committee. How the HIO accounts for the timeline The HIO approved extensions of the patient’s stay at the centre after the family requested them, the organisation says, once it took over management of the scheme for sending patients abroad about a year ago. Its Council of Experts later rejected a request for a further extension, though the Objections Council reversed that decision after the family appealed to it, granting an extension again. The case reached court at one point. But when the HIO reassessed a request for an additional extension, both the Council of Experts and the Objections Council rejected it. Read more: Cypriot families forced into debt as overseas treatment support falls short Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News MP warns underworld groups ‘have become emboldened’ in Cyprus UNFICYP commander withdrawn amid misconduct complaints, report says Doctors released in Mazonakis probe as procedure rules questioned Driver hits railing in Larnaca, cut free by Fire Service No breakthrough as Christodoulides, Erhurman meet again before New York Herzog visits Cyprus for third time amid Turkey-Israel strain Authorities admit major drainage failures across Engomi as residents report persistent flooding Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.