**Group Highlights Urgent Need for Cyprus Air Ambulance**
The absence of a dedicated air ambulance service in Cyprus has prompted significant financial implications for the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), which reportedly spends around €2.6 million annually on external airlifting services. The majority of these services are sourced from Greece, raising concerns about the adequacy and timeliness of patient care for critical health situations.
The patients association Osak brought attention to this pressing issue in a statement to the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday, revealing that recent data from the HIO indicates approximately one hundred patients have required airlifting abroad over the past ten months. These cases predominantly involve critically ill individuals, including those needing organ transplants and infants under 30 days old, for whom specialized care is not available in Cyprus.
Osak emphasized the challenges posed by the current reliance on external air transport services, which can lead to significant delays in critical situations. “The current time from the time we receive the call can be up to 15 hours,” the association stated, underscoring the urgent need for a more efficient system.
One notable case highlighted by Osak involved a lung cancer patient who missed a vital opportunity for a lung transplant due to the unavailability of timely air transport. This incident exemplifies the potential consequences of not having a dedicated air ambulance service, as similar situations could be avoided with a more responsive local solution.
The association has been advocating for the establishment of a Cyprus-owned air ambulance service for some time. They propose starting with a single air ambulance, with the possibility of expanding the service as needed. “The need that we have according to new statistics from the HIO is that we need to start with one [air ambulance] and then see further,” Osak stated.
In discussions with President Nikos Christodoulides, Osak received assurances that the matter would be taken into consideration for the 2027 budget, indicating a potential shift towards addressing this critical healthcare gap.
The call for a national air ambulance service reflects broader concerns about healthcare accessibility and response times, particularly for patients facing life-threatening conditions. As the situation stands, Cyprus remains dependent on external resources, primarily from Greece and, to a lesser extent, Israel, for airlifting patients in need of urgent medical care.
The establishment of a local air ambulance service could not only improve response times but also reduce the financial burden on the HIO, allowing for more efficient allocation of resources within the healthcare system. As discussions continue, the urgency of this issue remains at the forefront of healthcare advocacy in Cyprus.