Elderly tourists in Ayia Napa face a big problem regarding the supply of medicines after and the validity of the decree regulating the opening hours of pharmacies throughout Cyprus.
The position of the Municipal District of Ayia Napa was initially as the Pharmacies of the Municipal District of Ayia Napa are exempted from this decree as it is a tourist area.
In a post, the Deputy Mayor of Ayia Napa, Antonis Christou, states that "we are forced to leave Ayia Napa WITHOUT a pharmacy and we are forced to explain to tourists that they should visit the two-night pharmacies in the province of Famagusta to be served".
He emphasizes that "elderly tourists after certain hours and days will have to take a bus or taxi to visit the pharmacy that spends the night in another area of Famagusta province".
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From November 1, 2024, decree K.D.P 210/2022 came into force, regulating the opening hours of pharmacies throughout Cyprus.
Our position initially was that the Pharmacies of the Municipal Apartment of Ayia Napa should be exempted from this decree.
While we were given some verbal assurances that Ayia Napa and other tourist areas might be exempted from the decree, today we notice that this has not materialized.
Until today, the specificity of the Municipal Apartment of Ayia Napa has not been noticed, namely that it is a tourist area par excellence and that our primary goal and concern is to serve the visitors.
With the decision taken, we are forced to leave Ayia Napa WITHOUT a pharmacy and we are forced to explain to tourists that they should visit the two-night pharmacies in the province of Famagusta to be served.
Even today for some it is NOT noticeable that in Ayia Napa during the winter season there are ELDERLY tourists, the so-called long stayers, who in recent days are being informed that even for Panadol after certain hours and days they will have to take a bus or a taxi to visit the overnight pharmacy.
These decisions are an addition to the efforts that have been made over the years to extend the tourist season and the urges to keep open as many shops as possible, avoiding the images of "desolation".
Even today, there is silence from both the Ministry of Health and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.
