ENDOCRINOLOGISTS announced on Friday that they would not be joining the National Health Scheme (Gesy) which is to be launched next summer, citing a deficient budget that would lead to low-quality health services, while cardiologists, despite not being fully on board, said each would decide for themselves.
The announcements by the two medical societies follow those of paediatricians and gastroenterologists who said earlier in the week they would not join Gesy.
The Endocrinological Society said in a written statement that, after an extraordinary general assembly, the assembly organised by the Cyprus medical association (CyMA), and after being briefed, “the members unanimously declare the commitment of the society to the implementation of a proper Gesy that will provide decent services to Cypriot citizens.”
It said that they would like to express their disagreement over the Gesy “which contains ambiguities and a deficient budget that will de facto lead to low-level health services.”
The current scheme, it said, would not only harm doctors and other health providers, but even more so, patients.
Therefore, the group said, “there is a lot of scepticism and we state the intent of non-participation of endocrinologists as a whole in Gesy under the proposed plans.”
The group said they were willing to engage in constructive dialogue with all stakeholders. They also called on the state to postpone the implementation of Gesy to allow time for changes to ensure its successful implementation.
The Society of Cardiology, too, said in another announcement that amending “problematic provisions” of Gesy that cause concerns over labour and operational issues, was a basic precondition for its participation in the health scheme but that this was a decision to be taken by each of its members individually.
Cardiologists said that they were concerned about the current health scheme which is to kick in in June, as following meetings with the Health Insurance Organisation and CyMA, “there were even more unanswered questions than what was answered.”
Many times, it said, “during our meetings with HIO […] the answer was ‘let’s start and see’.”
“This, as it may very well be understood, has exacerbated the concerns and reservations of our members,” the announcement said.
It added that the resolution issued by the CyMA extraordinary general assembly that took place nearly a month ago, “demonstrates both our basic work concerns (ambiguous working conditions, no private practice of medicine) and operational concerns for the system (budget deficit, autonomy of public hospitals not simultaneous with the implementation of Gesy). These factors, the group said, make the successful implementation of Gesy, precarious and the upgrading of the health care of our fellow citizens, questionable.
“Understanding these concerns and amending those obviously problematic provisions is a prerequisite for the participation of the cardiological community in the upcoming health system, a decision which our individual members will of course take individually, and on a personal level.”
A Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) top official said earlier in the week that they were not able to understand why paediatricians and gastroenterologists announced they would not join Gesy since the final positions submitted to CyMA entertain all doctors’ concerns.
Private doctors fear the financial package they are being offered to participate in Gesy is not enough of an incentive.
Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said last month he was optimistic that the necessary number of private doctors would agree to join Gesy for the health reform to be launched successfully.
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