The Government and the State support public hospitals, which were and remain the backbone of the General Health System, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday, in his address at the inauguration ceremony for the first construction phase of the Mental Health Centre at Athalassa Hospital.
He added that the Government’s main objective and aspiration is the qualitative upgrading of the services provided, which passes through the radical improvement of the infrastructure of public hospitals, through a specific development plan, which is in the process of implementation.
According to the President of the Republic, the Center is a model building project, which began in 2023, following a decision of the previous government in 2021, and which will contribute decisively to the provision of high-quality health services to citizens who need them.
“The health sector is at the forefront of our government’s priorities, with actions and not just words, and it is in this context that we are constantly investing in both infrastructure and human resources,” he continued, while also recalling his recent discussion with SHSO officials on its development plan, which, he said, includes 128 million euros worth of projects in all districts and all hospitals in free Cyprus until 2027.
He added that the first phase being inaugurated today, with a total budget of 12 million euros, includes specific clinics that come to fill an existing gap, noting that the project also includes an auditorium, an indoor exercise area, exterior works, construction of pavements, internal roads, circulation and parking areas, which create an environment necessary for any citizen in need of this kind of treatment.
For his part, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Solidarity of Greece Dimitris Vartzopoulos said that there is a substantial and very productive cooperation between the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus in the health sector, for many years in the field of specializations, and even more recently in the field of transplants, as well as in terms of pharmaceutical policy and the coverage of mutual needs.
The prevention, treatment and reduction of the impact of mental disorders, along with the effort to reduce those factors that prevent people with mental health problems from seeking help, such as stigma, prejudice and myths surrounding mental illness, are a priority for the SHSO, said in his address the president of the organisation, Marinos Kallis.
He added that the new, modern infrastructure will upgrade the services offered and ensure the safety of patients and employees, with the first phase marking the completion of the construction of two emergency wards and a ward for substance abuse.
The Director of Mental Health Services, Dr. Anna Paradisioti, said in her address that a decade-long collective vision is now becoming a reality, also through the support of the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund.
She added that the centre was designed and equipped according to standards of modern equivalent centres based in European Union countries and meet the requirements for scientifically documented, modern and at the same time safe hospitalisation, ensuring the human rights of both the inpatients and their families, as well as the staff.
