Nurse Shortage: Regulations Frozen, Meeting with Charalambides

The issue of the severe nurse shortage in Cyprus remains pending, with unions reacting to the new regulations and a meeting expected with the Minister of Health, Neophytos Charalambides.

The meeting with the Minister of Health is expected in early to mid-February, following the submission of proposals by the stakeholders. At the same time, regulations regarding the registration of nurses and the renewal of licenses have been temporarily withdrawn due to reactions.

The President of the Nursing Branch of PASYDY, Prodromos Argyrides, expressed concerns about the potential exploitation of the possibility of nurses coming from third countries, while Natasa Lachana from OEB stressed the need for immediate decisions due to the critical situation.

The recommendations to the Minister of Health include proposals from PASYNO for harmonization with national legislation and increasing the level of language proficiency, as well as from PASYDY to strengthen cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Universities.

From the private sector, OEB and PASIN propose granting licenses for the employment of nurses from third countries as a temporary solution.