Paphos general hospital upgrade finalised

Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides announced on Monday that improvement works at Paphos general hospital are complete, after he asked for immediate upgrades to the entrance and outpatient clinics when he took office. Charalambides visited the hospital to inspect the finished projects, which he described as “a government priority”. He said public hospitals are “the backbone of the provision of public health services” and must be continuously upgraded, with the state health services organisation (Okypy) investing in all of them across the island. Suitable infrastructure, combined with the necessary equipment, would allow the hospital to support quality care, he said. Asked in regard to staff shortages, Charalambides said the ministry is in constant contact with Okypy, and where needs are identified and resources exist, measures are taken to ensure adequate staffing and services. On the planned hospital at Polis Chrysochous, he said procedures are moving according to the timetable and no problems have arisen. Certain procedural steps are needed before the project is announced, and the process of securing the land for the new building is under way. Okypy president Marinos Kallis said the projects the organisation has planned for 2026 and 2027 will be completed, in line with its commitments to the state and to patients. Marina Ioannou, executive director for Limassol and Paphos, outlined earlier work at the hospital, including a new paediatric ward and the opening of a new maternity hospital last year. A new accident and emergency department, a short-stay unit and an infectious diseases unit have also been created. Smaller improvements are continuing, including the replacement of suspended ceilings and other work around the premises. Ioannou said the aim is to make the hospital “even more hospitable and functional” for staff and patients.