Newsroom
The Mental Health Nursing Staff Branch of PASYDY has issued a stark warning about the state of Athalassa Hospital, stating that several of its wards have now been officially classified as unfit for use and must be demolished.
According to the union, this development confirms long-standing concerns about the safety and suitability of the hospital’s infrastructure. For many years, nursing staff have repeatedly alerted the authorities, through formal correspondence and public statements, to the deteriorating and unsafe conditions in which mental health patients are housed, placing responsibility squarely on the state.
Despite these warnings, meaningful action was delayed. After sustained pressure from the union, two hospital wards were eventually renovated at a cost running into millions of euros. However, only eight years later, these same wards have again been deemed unsuitable, raising serious questions about both the effective use of public funds and the absence of a long-term plan for mental health services.
The nurses’ union also points to stalled progress on the hospital’s redevelopment. While three modern buildings were completed and delivered a year ago as part of the first phase of the new Athalassa Hospital project, no further steps have been taken since. At the inauguration of the new facilities, the President of the Republic announced that construction of the second phase, which includes the main new hospital, would begin immediately. To date, however, no official timeline or update has been provided.
PASYDY is calling on the state, the Ministry of Health, and the State Health Services Organisation (OKYpY) to act without further delay. The union stresses that the priority must be the safety and dignity of patients, as well as the protection of staff who continue to work under extremely challenging conditions.
According to the nurses, the situation has reached a breaking point. They warn that unless decisive action is taken now, Athalassa Hospital will continue to operate in conditions that endanger patients and staff alike. The union insists that responsibility cannot once again be assigned retrospectively, emphasising that immediate, substantive decisions are no longer optional but unavoidable.
