President Christodoulides meets with medical association to discuss unlicensed clinics and health reforms

On October 5, 2026, President Nikos Christodoulides met with the leadership of the Pancyprian Medical Association (PIS) at the Presidential Palace in the presence of Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides. The meeting focused on strengthening government-PIS cooperation, the state budget's investment in health, and establishing a formal, ongoing dialogue between the state and the association.

A central topic of discussion was the proliferation of unlicensed medical centers providing questionable alternative therapies, which currently pose risks to public safety. PIS president Petros Agathangelou emphasized the need for stricter legislative penalties for the unauthorized practice of medicine and for individuals who impersonate doctors. The President expressed the government’s commitment to legislative reforms to address these gaps. Additionally, the PIS proposed creating a European-level framework for protecting the medical profession, modeled after existing protections for lawyers, which the government intends to support once fully developed.

Investigations are currently ongoing regarding a specific center in Larnaca that allegedly offered unauthorized plasmapheresis treatments. While the Ministry of Health and police have conducted checks, legal loopholes currently prevent authorities from permanently closing such facilities without further legislative changes. The Health Minister is currently evaluating a list of premises providing high-risk medical procedures.