Nicosia, Cyprus. MPs on Thursday unanimously passed the 2026 budget for the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), while voicing concerns about the state of public healthcare.
Budget figures and reserves
The HIO administers Gesy, the national single-payer healthcare system. For this year, the HIO’s budget is balanced at €2.13 billion, with cash reserves of €652 million as at January 1. Of the €2.13 billion in expenditures, €2 billion concern Gesy.
Calls for service upgrades
Before the vote, Diko MP Panicos Leonidou pointed to the steady increase in the HIO’s balance sheet over the years and said this growth should be matched by an upgrade in the services provided. He cited long waiting times for patients, sub-par preventative medicine, and over-charging for some services.
Concerns over service quality and transparency
Edek’s Marinos Sizopoulos said the HIO’s budget has more than doubled over a decade, but the quality of services has not kept up. Greens MP Charalambos Theopemptou highlighted a lack of transparency in payments, saying the HIO does not publish data on who is getting paid, where the money goes, and when.
Assessment of cash buffer
Disy’s Savia Orfanidou said the accumulated €650 million cash buffer might appear substantial, but in reality it covers needs for only a few months.
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