Paphos general hospital has undergone significant improvements in recent years, with over €21.8 million invested in both infrastructure and medical equipment, it was reported on Wednesday. The aim is to make the hospital more competitive with private healthcare providers, according to the Cyprus health services organisation (Okypy).

The hospital’s upgrade includes the construction of a modern haemodialysis unit, which was completed at a cost of €4.5 million. Additionally, the accident and emergency department was expanded, costing nearly €2.24 million. Other ongoing projects include a short stay unit and the development of the fourth floor to house maternal and child services, which will include a new paediatric ward and a dedicated pulmonology clinic. The total investment in infrastructure alone amounts to €15.08 million.

Alongside these building works, a significant amount has been spent on new medical equipment. Okypy revealed that the hospital now has a new 128-slice CT scanner, costing €1.01 million, as well as ultrasound machines at €535,000 and portable digital X-ray machines at €250,000. Other major purchases include surgical tables, monitoring screens, and anaesthesia machines, bringing the total spent on medical equipment to €6.77 million.

Despite these advancements, the hospital has been at the centre of a public dispute. Okypy has strongly refuted recent comments made by the mayor of Paphos, who suggested the hospital’s condition was deteriorating. The health organisation has called on the mayor to provide any evidence supporting his claims to the police, or else to retract and apologise for his statements.
In its statement, Okypy defended the hospital’s achievements and underlined that false and unfounded accusations are damaging to both the hospital and the services it provides. It also highlighted that the hospital’s mortality rate is low and comparable to other hospitals in Cyprus and abroad.

[…]