Private hospitals in Cyprus face closures due to critical nursing staff shortage

Private hospitals operating under Cyprus' General Healthcare System (GHS) have been forced to close inpatient beds, including intensive care units, due to a severe, long-standing shortage of nursing staff. According to Giorgos Pantelides, president of the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB), the crisis has impacted facilities in Nicosia, Limassol, and Larnaca. One hospital reported leaving an entire ward idle, while others have closed double-digit numbers of beds, resulting in the postponement of major surgical procedures that require postoperative intensive care. Marios Karaiskakis, head of the Pancyprian Association of Private Hospitals, confirmed that over 50 beds have been rendered unavailable.

The situation has sparked a heated confrontation between the OEB and the nursing union PASYNO. While employers cite the staff shortage as the primary driver for bed closures, the union has publicly questioned these claims, calling on the Ministry of Health to verify the situation and accusing employers of intimidating staff. Tensions escalated ahead of a scheduled discussion in the Parliamentary Health Committee regarding government-proposed amendments that would facilitate the hiring of nurses from non-EU countries. The Health Ministry maintains that it has been working on legislative solutions to ensure safe operations for months, while unions demand the release of an internal study detailing the extent of the labor deficit.