Ambulance service head warns parliament of underfunding as MPs debate national agency bill

Nicosia, Cyprus. Ambulance service head Riana Constantinou warned parliament on Thursday of years of state inaction and underfunding as the House health committee began debating a bill to establish a national ambulance agency under the health ministry.

Bill welcomed but described as overdue

Addressing MPs, Constantinou welcomed the bill but said it had come too late, questioning delays in regulating a sector she said operates without order or political protection. She said MPs were still debating measures that should have been introduced a decade earlier.

Concerns over limited oversight of private operators

Constantinou said the ambulance service has been left exposed while private operators continue to provide pre-hospital care with limited oversight. She said businesses can acquire ambulances and offer services while authorities continue to debate whether to impose order.

Impact of Gesy on public ambulance service

Constantinou said the introduction of the general health system, Gesy, placed a disproportionate burden on the public ambulance service and changed its role without reinforcement. She said patient transports increased from 5,000 to 45,000 with the same personnel, adding that rescue duties are being sidelined due to capacity constraints.

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