Woman dies after ambulance refuses to take her to hospital

The health ministry is looking into the death of a 33-year-old woman in Paphos, following allegations that a state ambulance had refused to take her to the Emergency Room because her trousers were not clean.

(Click here for an update to the story)

The victim, a Ukrainian woman living in Cyprus permanently, died on Sunday after she was found unconscious by an apartment complex manager in Paphos.

Previous reports said the woman was taken to the Emergency Room at the Paphos General Hospital, where doctors on duty pronounced her dead.

However, following new reports, it emerged that the apartment manager had to call the police and a private ambulance, after a state ambulance crew had refused to transport the woman, citing that her trousers were not clean.

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou has ordered a probe into the circumstances of the woman’s death, following a report in daily Politis titled ‘Death of a 33-year-old: They refused to take her to hospital’ and asked for a full report on his desk by Thursday.

A preliminary report delivered Wednesday was deemed "insufficient" by the minister, who said there were some points that were unclear. 

In a written statement, Ioannou said the probe aims to determine whether there was any violation of protocol or procedure.