Overcrowding and infrastructure issues reported at Athalassa Hospital

On Thursday, the Pan-Cyprian Federation of Mental Health Organizations reported critical infrastructure issues and overcrowding at Athalassa Hospital. These conditions arose following the closure of old, unsafe wards and the subsequent relocation of patients. Two acute incident wards, originally designed for 22 patients, are currently housing between 35 and 40 individuals. Furthermore, the THEMEA building is hosting over 30 patients, exceeding its 20-bed capacity. The Federation reports that patients are sleeping on mattresses on the floor, while double rooms have been converted into triple or quadruple occupancy. These conditions have allegedly limited therapeutic space and quality of care, reducing the ability of medical staff to provide personalized attention. Additionally, the report states that there is a lack of structured psychosocial programs, leaving pharmacological treatment as the primary intervention. Some chronic patients have reportedly been transferred to nursing homes that lack specialized mental health staff due to these space constraints.