Nicosia, Cyprus. Calls to the national healthcare system, Gesy, involving personal information will require caller identification from September, the Health Insurance Organisation said on Monday.
Verification process
Callers contacting the Gesy call centre will be asked to provide their name and the nature of their inquiry. If the request concerns personal information, they will receive a One-Time Password by text message on their mobile phone.
The password will remain active for five minutes and must be provided to the Gesy operator within that period. The operator will use it to match the caller’s name with the phone number registered in Gesy’s records.
Additional checks
After the password is verified, callers will also be asked to provide their ID number and date of birth before their inquiry can proceed.
General inquiries that do not involve personal information will not require the verification process.
Data protection
The Health Insurance Organisation said the measure is intended to prevent potential identity theft and forms part of ongoing efforts to improve services and strengthen the security of personal data.
Gesy beneficiaries were urged to ensure that their contact details are up to date and match the information registered with Gesy.
