Occupational therapy negotiations in Cyprus face further delays

A scheduled meeting between occupational therapists, the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), and the Ministry of Health has been postponed, further delaying the integration of occupational therapy services into the General Health System (GHS). The meeting, intended to resolve a long-standing impasse, has been rescheduled for the first ten days of October.

This delay leaves thousands of children in need of treatment without access to state-subsidized services. Although occupational therapy is legally included under the GHS framework, the HIO and practitioners have failed to reach an agreement for nearly seven years. Consequently, patients are currently forced to pay for private sessions, rely on limited public sector resources, or forgo necessary care entirely.

Charalambos Papadopoulos, secretary of the Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations (OSAK), criticized the postponement, noting that the Ministry of Health had intervened to facilitate progress. Patient groups are now calling on all stakeholders to prioritize the urgent needs of the children affected, as previous negotiations have also been repeatedly delayed, exacerbating the impact on families.