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A severe staffing shortage left just two nurses caring for 15 young patients at the Makarios Hospital pediatric oncology unit on a single night shift this week. The incident, brought to light during a parliamentary health committee meeting on Thursday, has intensified scrutiny on the state health services organization, OKYpY, as it navigates a massive seventy million euro overhaul of the 45-year-old facility. The President of the Association of Parents of Children with Cancer testified to lawmakers about the critical lack of personnel, describing it as a systemic issue. Hospital officials responded by promising that four new staff members will join the ward in the near future.
The facility is currently undergoing extensive upgrades across six separate zones. The simultaneous projects have caused significant disruption for vulnerable patients, particularly due to the demolition of walls for a new accident and emergency department situated directly across from the pediatric cancer ward. OKYpY Chief Financial Officer Rovertos Karahannas informed the committee that the ongoing projects face various delays. The pediatric surgery clinic is scheduled for delivery on July 12 following a six-week delay, while the first phase of the thalassemia ward renovation will wrap up on July 25. The new accident and emergency department is expected to finish in the spring of 2027, missing its initial January deadline by up to three months. Furthermore, renovations on Maternity Ward 1 conclude this September, followed by a pediatric unit upgrade running from September to mid-February 2027. Maternity Ward 2 will follow, with a target completion date of January 2027. To prevent extended periods of construction noise, authorities are attempting to schedule upcoming November renovations on the gynecological ward to coincide directly with heavy machinery work at the emergency department.
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum demanded strict adherence to these timelines, insisting that the well-being of young patients must take precedence over structural improvements. Savia Orphanidou, the committee chairwoman, noted that while the upgrades are essential to modernizing healthcare standards, contractors must adjust their schedules to mitigate noise whenever requested, regardless of the financial cost to OKYpY. Opposition MPs also weighed in on the disruption. AKEL lawmaker Marina Nikolaou stressed that public health officials have a binding obligation to ensure construction does not compromise patient safety or daily care. Meanwhile, DIKO representative Andreas Apostolou acknowledged ongoing communication between hospital managers and patient groups but remarked that current efforts remain insufficient while children are actively undergoing treatment in noisy environments.
Despite the friction over local infrastructure, patient advocates welcomed a recent cabinet decision to station a dedicated liaison officer at the Cypriot Embassy in Paris. The role will provide logistical support to families traveling to France for specialized medical treatment. Miltos Miltiadous, the newly appointed head of the Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations, OSAK, welcomed the overseas appointment but reminded officials of the larger strategic picture. He noted that while patient groups originally advocated for a brand-new, standalone maternal and children's hospital, the state opted for expansion. Because of that choice, he stated, the government and its contractors are now entirely responsible for protecting these children during their most difficult moments.
