The Cyprus Patients' Associations Federation (CPAF) welcomes with particular satisfaction the passage by the House of Representatives of the legislation establishing the institution of the Patient Ombudsman and calls it a "historic day", while noting that the establishment of the institution fills a real and established gap, the lack of an independent mechanism where patients and their families can turn when they encounter problems in care services either within or outside the General Health System.
In a statement today, OSAK states that this development constitutes an essential step towards ensuring patients' rights and enhancing transparency and accountability in the healthcare system.
As he states, "this is a regulation that OSAK has been consistently and documentedly demanding for more than ten years."
He explains that "the new institution will have the authority to receive and examine complaints, intervene when problems are identified, suggest solutions to the competent authorities and inform citizens about their rights" and notes that "its role extends to the entire spectrum of health services, both within and outside the General Health System."
