11,26% of all public nurses were absent last Tuesday with sick leave, long-term leave, maternity leave or parental leave, while an additional number of nurses were on leave. This means that around 460 nurses (out of a total of about 3.000 nurses) in Cyprus were out of work.
The large number of licenses received by the nursing staff of public hospitals and ways of replenishing employees during their long absence, examined yesterday the Health Committee of the Parliament. The reactions of the deputies differed per faction, while the OKYPY analyzed data and stressed that even as a precaution when recruiting nurses, a 25% is added to the number in order to deal with the phenomenon of long-term leave that constantly leads to "fictitious" understaffing. hospitals.
Detailed and according to the data of OKYPY, which concern the data of last Tuesday, but clearly demonstrate the situation:
Overall on a pan-Cypriot scale they were absent on the same day as sick leave 121 nurses. Others 117 were absent with a long sick leave, 59 with maternity leave, 2 with parental leave. Percentage corresponding to 11,26% of the staff. In addition to, another 159 nurses were absent on leave.
In terms of large provincial hospitals were out of duty on that day:
- Nicosia Hospital: 51 with sick leave, 55 with long-term leave, 24 with maternity leave. Percentage of 12,82% of the total number of hospital nurses. In addition, 62 nurses were absent on leave.
- Limassol Hospital: 26 with sick leave, 15 with long-term leave, 6 with maternity leave and 4 with parental leave. Percentage 7,2%. In addition, 41 nurses were absent on leave.
- Larnaca Hospital: 5 with sick leave, 16 with long-term leave, 10 with maternity leave. Percentage 8,9%. Another 19 were absent on leave.
- Paphos Hospital: 11 with sick leave, 7 with long-term leave, 8 with maternity leave. Percentage 9,5%. Another 13 were absent on leave
- Famagusta Hospital: 4 with sick leave, 6 with long-term leave, 7 with maternity leave, 1 with parental leave. Percentage 9,4%. In addition, 9 nurses were absent with a leave of absence.
- Makareio hospital: 17 with sick leave, 12 with long-term leave, 4 with maternity leave and 1 with parental leave. Percentage 10%. Another 15 were absent on leave.
As for the smaller hospitals, last Tuesday from Troodos (Kyperountas) hospital, 22,9% was absent, with the numbers of course being calculated according to the total number of staff, which in this case is small compared to the largest hospitals. Specifically, 6 were absent with sick leave, 5 with long-term leave. At Polis Chrysochous hospital, the percentage of absences was 9,5%, since 2 nurses were absent with sick leave and long-term leave. Of all the hospitals, 9 nurses are absent on unpaid leave, of which 4 are in Limassol Hospital.
The reactions from MPs are different
In their statements after the end of the meeting, the members of the Committee took a rather different position, as some expressed their satisfaction for the explanations given by OKYPY and others spoke about the understaffing of the hospitals.
Specifically, the Deputy Chairman of the Health Committee, Savvia Orfanidou, stated that "OKYPY has informed that there was an agreement with the MPs from 2019-20 to staff all the services that provide medical services and until today from 2019 382 nurses have been hired in our public hospitals, 11 of which will soon take over their duties ". Ms. Orfanidou added that "in the constant request of the unions for further staffing, the representative of OKYPY, has stated that they have never denied that they are discussing for further staffing and recruitment of nurses".
AKEL MP Marina Nikolaou stated that "The Government, despite the announcements from 2016, has done little in relation to the cry of despair of the nurses, adding that the verbal recognition of the value of the work of the nurses is not enough".
DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvidis stated that the Committee received complaints from PASYNO about the understaffing in the Neonatal Unit of Makareio Hospital.
DIPA MP and rapporteur Michalis Giakoumis said that "the practice used by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance for public hospitals since 1997, was to secure positions in the state budget to replace long-term sick leave and maternity leave. . This practice, OKYPY stopped applying it in 2019 and in combination with the admission of young nurses, the problem has swelled and unfortunately, as it seems, it continues to swell ".
More are hired to fill the gaps
As the representative of OKYPY, Charalambos Charilaou, stated before the Committee, the Organization, precisely because The phenomenon of the large number of licenses received by the nursing staff is well known, "every time recruitments are made, it takes into account the needs of an additional 25% in order not to create gaps". As he characteristically said, "if we need 1.000 nurses, we estimate 1.250." He also pointed out that from 2019 until today, more than 380 nurses have been hired.
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