Health Insurance Organization reviews first year of managing medical transfers abroad

The Health Insurance Organization (HIO) of Cyprus has released its first-year performance report regarding the management of medical transfers for Gesy beneficiaries, a responsibility it assumed on October 2, 2025. This program facilitates care for patients when required services are unavailable within the Cypriot healthcare system in a timely manner. During the first twelve months of operation, the organization evaluated 1,304 transfer requests, approving 932 of them to support patients in need of specialized treatment.

Key performance data indicates that the organization successfully managed 101 medical airlifts to hospitals in Europe and Israel. Response times were categorized by medical urgency: life-threatening cases were addressed with an average transfer time of 1.5 days, urgent cases in 5 days, and routine procedures in 22 days. Of the approved requests, 24 involved life-threatening conditions, while 86 were classified as urgent. Among the airlifts conducted, 23 involved life-threatening scenarios, 30 were urgent, and 48 were routine cases. Germany, Greece, and the United Kingdom were identified as the primary destinations for these patients.

This administrative shift ensures that Cypriot citizens receive essential medical care when local facilities reach capacity or lack necessary infrastructure, marking a critical development in the functionality of the national health system.