The Minister of Health, Petros Petridis, clarified any change in the goals of the General Health System, wanting with this statement to end, as he said, "this tale" about a change in the philosophy of GESY and asked all those involved in the field of health to join forces to implement the GESY.
Responding to MPs' statements during the meeting organized on Sunday by the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association under the title "General Health Plan - Zero Hour" he said that with this statement he responds to the intense paraphilology that has been developing in the last eight months about the GESY status and reputation involvement of insurance companies.
Regarding the autonomy of the hospitals, the Minister of Health said that the process is progressing and experts from abroad and the World Bank and the World Health Organization have already been invited, who "guides and advises us on the implementation of the GESS".
He went on to say that the Ministry of Health called on the stakeholders to pass on the knowledge and experiences gained by the Ministry of Health and its associates and to train them in public hospitals.
The Minister of Health added that his goal since taking office was to link the private sector with the public sector for the benefit of the citizen's health, "out of interests, out of established and business aspirations".
Furthermore, Mr. Petridis, referring to the patients' mission abroad, said that there are surgeries and treatments that still cannot be done in Cyprus. He added that the previous government had set the goal of recruiting foreign scientists to pass on their surgical knowledge and experience to Cypriot scientists and patients.
He pointed out that out of the 12 million that were initially included in the state budget for the purchase of services from abroad with the coordinated efforts made in recent months, this amount decreased and does not exceed 4 million, noting that this proves that we can costs of health care.
Regarding the medical file, the Minister of Health said that he found pioneering programs in the Ministry of Health and explained that the Ministry of Health already participates in a pan-European program for the electronic medical file and assured that soon by 2015 an electronic medical file will be completed and implemented.
He assured that "we are moving forward without skepticism" putting above all the health and the right of vulnerable groups of the population to have access to health.
The Minister of Health reiterated the strong concern for the determination of co-payment and reiterated that in this concern he finds support from the World Health Organization, noting that it can not be imagined that a low-retired employee, who receives 500 euros per month, participating in a health system, he will be treated in the hospitals of our place, paying 50 euros per day only for medical expenses, in addition to the cost of medicines and medical examinations ".
"Fortunately, there is an identity with the Organization and we have methodized the identification of ways to secure these people so that they have the right to access all levels of medical care without any charge," he concluded.
The President of the Pharmaceutical Association Aristos Petridis said that the meeting is held at a critical and crucial time for Cyprus with the aim of the Association to give impetus to the effort to implement the GESY.
"New air is blowing in the health sector with the determination of the Ministry of Health to implement the GESY in 2015", Mr. Petridis observed, adding that the financial problems accumulated by the financial crisis insist on the need to implement a properly designed GESY.
Mr. Petridis expressed the position that the citizen through the GESY should be entitled to the obvious and without facing the risk of financial collapse when faced with a serious health problem.
He also stated the readiness of pharmacists to contribute in the field of prevention and treatment of multidrugs.