Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ House health committee debated a bill last month aimed at establishing a national ambulance agency, following cabinet approval in December. The discussion comes as non-emergency patient transports have risen sharply, according to the ambulance service.
Bill considered amid rising non-emergency transports
Non-emergency patient transports increased from 5,000 in 2020 to 45,000 in 2025, according to the ambulance service. Stakeholders, including Osak, the federation for patients’ rights, said there is no immediate crisis in terms of ambulances being available for urgent needs.
“There are some complaints, but I have to say the service is generally very good,” Marios Kouloumas, honorary president of Osak, told the Cyprus Mail.
Gesy linked to increase in transfers
The rise is attributed to non-emergency transports such as transfers between hospitals or taking patients home after discharge. The main change between 2020 and 2025 was the introduction of the general health system (Gesy), which regulates almost all hospitals and provides for ambulance care even in non-urgent cases.
In 2025 there were 86,200 ambulance transports, including 45,000 non-emergency calls and 41,200 emergency calls. Emergency calls have not risen significantly in recent years.
Service capacity and delays
Kouloumas said the same vehicles handle both emergency and non-emergency calls, leaving the service over-extended. He said patients’ transfers home can be delayed for hours because ambulances prioritise emergency calls, resulting in hospital beds remaining occupied longer than necessary.
Concerns over oversight
Kouloumas said a national ambulance agency could address such inefficiencies, while raising concerns about the planned administrative structure. “The government has decided to place the ambulances under the health ministry,” he said. “In our opinion, that’s a mistake. On the other hand, it’s still a step forward.”
How should Cyprus balance emergency and non-emergency ambulance demand while reducing hospital discharge delays?