President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades said on Thursday evening that the health sector in Cyprus would change completely by 2020.

In an address at the 3rd Graduation Ceremony of the Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, delivered on his behalf by Health Minister, Constantinos Ioannou, President Anastasiades noted that the government is now in the process of implementing the National Health System, which is based on the fundamental principles of social solidarity, equality and universal coverage.

“The NHS is designed to make the most of the structures and human resources of both the public and private sector. Therefore, under the NHS, all beneficiaries will have access to health professionals, hospitals and diagnostic centres of the public and private sector of their choice” Anastasiades remarked, according to a press release from the Ministry of Health.

“We are positive that the implementation of the Healthcare System Reforms will address effectively and decisively most of the problems and challenges faced today by the healthcare sector, and at the same time will contribute significantly to improving the standard of living of our citizens” said the President and stressed that “the entire health sector in our country is currently at the heart of the most important reform process that has taken place in recent years and will completely change by 2020”.

He then reassured that both the Ministry of Health and himself work to both upgrade the healthcare sector and provide health professionals with the necessary tools that will facilitate their task.