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There are 943,978 beneficiaries registered in GHS

02/06/2023 09:44

There are 943,978 beneficiaries registered in the General Health System (GHS), of them, 806,900 visited their personal doctor during the past year of the scheme’s operation, the Chairman of the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), Stavros Michael said in a press conference held Thursday to mark the four years of implementation of the System.

Most of them, 692,500 beneficiaries, have received medication while 611,200 have visited specialised doctors. Also, 502,300 beneficiaries have undergone laboratory tests and 286,500 beneficiaries have visited dentists, while during the same period, 90,500 operations were performed, he noted.

Michael stressed that the top priority of HIO is to keep the GHS strong, enhancing its financial sustainability and offering lifelong equitable and seamless access to quality health care services for all.

He further pointed out that an actuarial study conducted by the ILO (International Labour Organization) showed that the GHC is sustainable until 2030, with sufficient reserves.

At the same time, he noted that informing beneficiaries and cultivating the right culture towards the System is of primary importance adding that "we are planning larger scale awareness campaigns addressed to both beneficiaries and providers for a more appropriate use of GHS services." He said that the Organization had also prioritized other essential issues with the aim of creating long-term safeguards and upgrading the quality of services provided.

The Chairman of HIO noted that based on the support of citizens, the GHS in the past year focused on strengthening, reinforcing and improving health services. He said that the Organization, in the context of improving and upgrading the way it operates, included the introduction of new important functions in the system, offering additional tools and capabilities to beneficiaries and providers.

The GHS is the biggest social reform since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus and has completed four years of life, ensuring equal access to quality health services for all citizens without exceptions, while creating the conditions for a strong, innovative and effective health system that is constantly evolving and improving, he added.

"My vision and goals are clear. Continuous improvement of the health services provided, while ensuring the financial sustainability of the GHC for the benefit of all citizens," he stressed.

Through GHS, he continued, all citizens of the Republic of Cyprus ensured equal, fair and unhindered access to quality health services, without exceptions. He added that with the implementation of the GHS, every adult got his/her own personal doctor and children got their own pediatrician.

The expansion of services provided by speech therapists to children with autism, Down’s syndrome and everyone with neurodevelopmental disorders are among HIO future plans, Michael further said.

The first phase of the GHS was launched on June 1, 2019 with the provision of outpatient health services. In 2020 phase two was implemented with the provision of inpatient health services.