Those who have declined vaccination should pay for rapid tests, says Cyprus Health Minister

From the moment unvaccinated citizens decided against the COVID-19 vaccine, they should have to pay for their rapid tests, said on Saturday Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas.

In statements after a visit to the Emergency Room of Nicosia General Hospital, the Minister said that the decision to start charging citizens for rapid tests from 1st of August was taken after all information was examined. So far, we have paid 26 million euros for the rapid tests, excluding all other costs, he noted.
 
Hospitals, he added, need a financial boost. “We respect our citizens views. From the moment that the state provides the vaccine and the choice of vaccine for all, they do not need rapid tests. And from the moment they decided not to have the vaccine, we believe it is their obligation to pay for rapid tests”, he said.

The Minister said that the centres where rapid tests will be provided free for certain categories of citizens, will be announced on a daily basis.

On her part, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Christina Yiannaki, said that vaccinations at Walk-In centres have reached 10,600 while from Friday 6/8 and every Friday, people who are not eligible to register on the General Health System will be able to get vaccinated for free.
 
From Monday, the vaccination programme will also open for children aged 12 onwards adding “we have really worked on the vaccination programme for the benefit of public health, ourselves and those around us, so that we can come out of the pandemic and for the children who will return to schools for the new academic year”, she added.

Dr. Yiannaki expressed hope that Cyprus will reach the targets it set for the vaccination programme by end of August.

Regarding his visits to First Aid departments, Hadjipantelas said that from the moment he took office, he has been paying visits to hospitals to become informed on the problems both hospitals and patients face.

The problem is that people are not being served as fast as we would have liked, the Minister said, noting a plan has been set up by the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) and the State Health Services Organisation.

Today’s visit, he added, was to examine if this plan works properly and whatever issues arise to be resolved. “It seems that there are some problems but there is good will from all sides to resolve them and our aim to help patients and we are doing this constantly.”

The long delays, he said, will be resolved with additional recruitments.

“Currently, in collaboration with HIO, we have additional doctors. We have some problems and we will resolve them,” he said.

The Minister said at the moment there are 300 patients hospitalised with COVID with hospitals going through a difficult time. “At the same time, we have not stopped working to find solutions for these patients”, he added.