Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides defended the role of overseas treatment after delays in processing applications were scrutinised by the House health committee.
Speaking at an event on patients’ rights and overseas healthcare, Charalambides said that overseas healthcare complements rather than replaces the general health system (Gesy).
He emphasised that the issue carries “very concrete significance for patients and families who, in a difficult time, need to seek treatment outside our country.”
Charalambides acknowledged that Cyprus, as a small island state, cannot reasonably develop every highly specialised treatment domestically, particularly for rare diseases or procedures offered only at a limited number of specialised centres abroad.
He said the state’s responsibility extends beyond creating mechanisms for overseas care, pointing to the national contact point as a resource that provides information and guidance to patients.
The process for sending patients abroad is managed by the Health Insurance Organisation
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