There are major weaknesses at the Nicosia and Limassol hospital ERs, a special Audit Office Report has found following a recent night time 'raid' during a public holiday, conducted between 2300 and 0200 in the morning.
The surprise checks were aimed at establishing whether public hospitals were functioning with the same adequacy and quality beyond daytime operating schedules and focusing on life saving patient services.
A case of 11 hour ER waiting time
According to the Audit Office findings, on call ER doctors were present and their response was within the protocol allocated timeframe. But there were several issues with patient waiting times, particularly at the Nicosia General hospital.
The average waiting time was over five hours, while on one occasion a patient had to wait for 11 hours and 28 minutes before being admitted to a ward for treatment.
'Delays are due to ER staff waiting for specialist doctors during the early hours, as well as differences between clinics on where to classify each incident', it was noted.
Patients admitted without specialist doctors approval
What's been described as of particular concern is the process by which patients are admitted for further care. At the Nicosia ER, only one out of 15 admissions checked by the Audit Office, were signed by an on-duty specialist doctor, while in the case of the Limassol General, 9 out of 11 admissions were signed by a specialist.
As noted by the Office, this kind of practice 'poses a number of risks for patients health, leaving State Health Services and doctors involved, exposed to liability'.
Delayed diagnosis
In one particular instance at the Limassol General, neurosurgical counsel was sought from the Nicosia hospital, as there is currently no neurosurgeon at the Limassol facility. A diagnosis was delivered with a delay of almost 2 hours, with the patient having already being admitted for specialist treatment.
1.5 million MRI out of commission
At the Nicosia General, the MRI was unavailable due to a technical issue, resulting in patients being referred to a private hospital. The Audit Office notes that the latest technology MRI at the Nicosia General, which cost 1.5 million, remains out of commission, with recurring glitches in existing equipment lead to questions over maintenance and management.
Diagnosis after release
The Audit Service also records delays in X-Ray diagnosis, in many cases days following the examination and with patients already having been released from hospitals. Such a practice, as noted, 'raises the risk of missing pathological findings to the detriment of patients'.
The OKYPY response
In its initial response, state health services OKYPY said that urgent cases are dealt with immediately, clarifying that incidents which are stable fall into the particularities of the night shift. On the absence of specialist doctors, it is noted that neurosurgical counsel is provided centrally, based on international practices and not across state hospitals.
'Following the surprise checks, instructions were given to amend certain practives and improve procedures', Okypy said.