Patients seeking appointments with liver specialists at State Health Services Organisation (Okypy) hospitals are facing waits of up to two years in some cases, according to the Cyprus Liver Patients and Friends Association Prometheus.
Okypy’s website lists six doctors specialising in hepatology, four at Limassol General Hospital and two at Nicosia General Hospital. Meanwhile, the Limassol Hepatology Clinic alone has built up a register of around 1,500 patients under its care over the past decade.
Patients report long waits
Prometheus raised the delays during its general assembly, reporting that appointments in some cases are being scheduled one to two years in advance.
Patients have also reported difficulties with procedures for referrals abroad and with gaining timely access to necessary treatments.
The association highlighted delays in sending a second Okypy doctor for specialist training in transplant hepatology, calling for specialised services to be strengthened.
Hepatology not a separate specialty
The situation is complicated by the fact that hepatology is not recognised as a standalone medical specialty in Cyprus, but as a specialised field within gastroenterology.
As a result, there is no publicly available register providing an accurate picture of how many doctors offer specialised hepatology services in the private sector.
Prometheus is expected to raise the problems with the relevant authorities, seeking action on staffing, waiting times and patients’ access to treatment.
