Minister takes down names of vax-deterring doctors

Cypriot Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela says he wants to know which doctors are not pushing for the COVID vaccine, while also pointing out that people who got vaccinated have earned the right to relaxations of some measures.

Hadjipantela was speaking on a local television program this week when he said the vaccination rate in the Republic of Cyprus was among “the highest levels within Europe.”

Asked by a Sigmalive TV journalist to comment on people who were still hesitant to get vaccinated, the health minister he respected the views of his fellow citizens who did not choose to get the shot.

“But at the same time we respect those who have been vaccinated, and this is why things eased up on them,” Hadjipantela said.

The minister also said it was unfortunate that two fellow citizens had lost their lives recently, referring to two males who had been treated by a doctor who has been accused of administering dubious antibody cocktails to patients.

Officials did not specify the exact cause of death for the two men but the health ministry suggested deaths were either attributed to the coronavirus or they were post-covid patients who died of other complications.

The doctor, who has been described in the media as being against the vaccine, initially denied wrongdoing according to local media.

A total of seven medical doctors are currently being investigated in different districts, with media reports referring to “charlatan doctors” offering dubious antibody cocktails while physicians are also being accused of providing fake vaccination certificates.

“I want to have a list of doctors who do not promote vaccinations, so that we can know who these people are, to see if something is not right, just like with the doctor in Larnaca,” the minister said.

A 53-year-old Larnaca-based doctor was recently arrested following accusations that he had issued fake vaccination certificates to patients. Two men reportedly seen by the doctor caught the bug and died last week, while a third patient was said to have been hospitalized.

Local media said a friend of one of the deceased had begged his buddy to seek medical treatment at a state hospital but the patient resisted the idea initially and chose to be treated by the Larnaca doctor. He then checked into the hospital where he later died.