Newsroom
Emergency services and public hospitals experienced increased demand over the Christmas holiday period, but the situation remained manageable, health officials said, with no extraordinary incidents recorded.
Between December 24 and 26, the ambulance service responded to 422 emergency calls nationwide, according to Riana Constantinou, head of the service at the Ministry of Health. Of these, 172 concerned the Nicosia district, which recorded a noticeable rise compared with previous years.
The majority of incidents involved chest pain, injuries, and general illnesses. Constantinou stressed that all calls were handled promptly and that the overall volume remained within the expected range for the holiday period. While emergency calls traditionally rise during festive days, she noted that this year’s increase was largely concentrated in Nicosia.
Importantly, there were no fatal traffic accidents reported between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, a development officials described as encouraging given the seasonal increase in road use. The holiday period also saw intensified police activity on the roads and in urban centres, though health officials said this did not translate into severe or unmanageable pressure on emergency departments.
Public hospitals and Accident and Emergency Departments remained on full standby throughout the holiday period, with available beds to accommodate urgent cases, according to Charalambos Harilaou, spokesperson for the State Health Services Organisation (OKYPY).
Harilaou said emergency departments experienced heavier traffic over Christmas, partly because many general practitioners and specialist doctors were on leave, prompting more patients to seek care through hospital emergency rooms. Despite the increase, hospitals were able to cope without disruption.
To ease pressure on emergency departments, OKYPY has continued operating fast-track clinics, which handle non-urgent cases and help reduce congestion. Harilaou said this measure has played a key role in keeping emergency rooms functional during peak periods.
The cases recorded during the holidays included incidents commonly seen at this time of year, such as strokes, heart attacks, some traffic-related injuries, and an uptick in influenza cases. However, Harilaou emphasised that flu levels remain well below the alarming rates currently reported in other parts of Europe.
Health authorities said they will continue monitoring hospital capacity closely as the holiday season continues, urging the public to seek appropriate care and use emergency services responsibly.
