Paphos, Cyprus. Municipal health services cannot be reduced to second-class services for responsibilities the central government is unwilling to assume, Union of Municipalities chairman Andreas Vyras said on Friday. Officials speaking at a conference in Paphos said the sector faces growing challenges tied to public health, environmental management and quality of life.
Conference focus on municipal health services
Vyras’ address was read out at a conference in Paphos on the role of municipality health services in public health.
He said municipal health services were expected to address a wide range of issues, including waste management, catering and water inspections, swimming pool licensing, noise pollution, smoking in public areas, disinfections and stray animals. He said these issues all affect public health and quality of life.
Call for improvements to legislation
Vyras said local administration reform was an important step in modernising municipal services, but added that the new legislation left much to be desired.
“We continue to dynamically demand the necessary improvements, so that the municipal authorities can at last exercise their authorities, free of the asphyxiating cogwheels of state bureaucracy,” Vyras said.
He added that the health sector could not operate independently from the central government.
Challenges facing health services
Head of the health services Herodotos Herodotou said the daily work of health officers and inspectors was not always visible to the public, but remained substantial and directly benefited people’s quality of life, safety and health.
Herodotou said the department faced ongoing challenges including climate change, population movement, environmental issues and increased demands from the public.
Public health and urban quality of life
Acting mayor of Paphos Angelos Onisiforou said public health was directly linked to city cleanliness, environmental protection, waste management and quality of life.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Paphos municipality health inspector Christos Christou said the event was held to facilitate dialogue among municipalities, record modern challenges and common problems, and lay the foundations for a unified approach.
