Cyprus health minister aims to engage inactive nurses to address staff shortages

Cypriot Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides announced on October 19, 2026, his intention to meet with nurses who have left the profession to understand the factors driving them away from the healthcare sector. Acknowledging that chronic staff shortages pose a major challenge to the national health system, the minister seeks to gather direct feedback from those who have exited the field.

This initiative follows a recent discussion in the House Health Committee, where official data indicated that 1,450 nurses in Cyprus are currently inactive. Additionally, reports revealed that 988 nurses under the age of 40 are failing to renew their professional licenses. While these figures were provided by a representative of the Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council during a session concerning potential employment of nurses from non-EU countries, Minister Charalambides noted that he has heard conflicting data and cannot verify the exact count without further investigation.

The minister suggested that issues such as poor workplace conditions and inadequate compensation may contribute to the exodus of qualified staff. By consulting with these individuals directly, the Ministry of Health hopes to identify concrete reasons for the decline in active practitioners to inform future policy adjustments and retention strategies.