LIMASSOL’S own heart surgery clinic should start being built next year. Health Minister Stavros Malas said yesterday. 

“Once we complete the construction of the heart surgery clinic we have decided to apply primary angioplasty in Cyprus – a new method only used in a few countries,” Malas said. 

Once completed, the Limassol clinic should cover the needs of Paphos as well.

Malas said that for victims of heart attacks, angioplasty is more effective than the current method used: that of thrombolysis which breaks down blood clots by the use of drugs. 

Angioplasty instead is a procedure used to widen or unblock arteries carrying blood to the heart. 

In order for primary angioplasty to become widely available, the Ministry would need to ensure that property trained doctors were available.

It would also need to ensure that heart attack victims were properly diagnosed and operated on as soon as possible.  

“The state recognises that the structures and infrastructure need to be sufficient so that Cyprus… can handle all incidents within the island,” Malas said.

Cyprus Mail