‘Short term govts left health services with problems’
SUCCESSIVE short-term governments have left TRNC public health services with problems that now need urgent attention — so said Filiz Besim, who became Health Minister following the January 7 general election.
Speaking after two months in her new job, Dr Besim told Kıbrıs, the Turkish-language sister newspaper of Cyprus Today: “Nearly all areas of public health have problems which we are addressing.
“We can have a properly functioning health service if there is a will to work towards it. For example, we aim to create a system of peripheral health centres [in small communities], peripheral hospitals in each district and major general hospitals in our cities and large towns, in addition to using private hospitals and clinics . . . which would be regulated by the Health Ministry.”
Dr Besim said the government had a constitutional responsibility to take care of all of its people, and the new administration had prioritised the issue to deliver a range of “quality” preventive health services in future.
“Preventive approaches and medicine can be provided in the regions to also collect data in fields such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, women’s, children’s and dental health . . . which will help us detect diseases early and allow us to be continually a step ahead in beginning appropriate treatments,” she said.
Dr Besim said a key requirement was a new general hospital in Lefkoşa to replace the existing old one.
“We are working with an architect to create the new facility, which will be named the City Hospital,” she said.
In the meantime, she added, new nurses would be recruited to work in casualty departments and a triage system would be introduced there from June.
POLYCLINICS at all TRNC hospitals and health centres are now open until 2.30pm on weekdays, Dr Besim announced on Tuesday, instead of closing at 1pm.
A new digital switchboard is also operating round the clock at Lefkoşa State Hospital, and anyone calling (0392) 608 5441 during working hours will be connected to the appointments unit by dialling extension 1101.