The Federation of Employers and Industrialists (OEB) warns that procrastination and strike threats worsen the nursing shortage in Cyprus, affecting both public and private health sectors.
The Federation of Employers and Industrialists (OEB) has expressed strong concerns regarding recent public statements and strike threats related to staffing issues in State Health Services Organization (OKYPY) hospitals, citing alleged understaffing of nurses.
OEB highlights that public sector nurses are most affected by the global nursing shortage, which creates a misleading perception of the actual situation. Reports indicate OKYPY needs 120 additional nurses, currently employing about 2,800 mainly in clinical roles.
Mathematically, 60%–70% of nurses work in the public sector covering only 30%–35% of GHS activities. Increasing public sector staffing would transfer nurses from the private sector, worsening private sector understaffing. Additionally, 5% of nurses in public hospitals are on long-term leave, compared to less than 1% in private hospitals.
Private hospitals operate under strict legislation, including infrastructure requirements and nurse-to-patient ratios that are higher than most European standards.
OEB has proposed solutions to address the staffing shortage, including:
Procrastination and threats of strikes hinder effective solutions and undermine the functioning of the GHS, creating unnecessary insecurity for patients. The issues cannot be solved by draining the private sector, which already bears a disproportionate burden.
