Cyprus parliamentary committee debates nursing staff and university hospital legislation

On October 29, 2026, the Parliamentary Health Committee in Cyprus convened to address two significant healthcare issues: the establishment of university hospitals and the recruitment of nurses from third countries. While there is a consensus on the existence of severe staff shortages, deep disagreements persist regarding the proposed legislative solutions.

The bill to hire nurses from non-EU countries proposes a 10% quota per facility and two-year initial licenses. However, opposition parties, including AKEL, have rejected the proposal, while DISY and DIKO lawmakers emphasized that they would not support it without guarantees concerning collective labor agreements, wage protection, and mandatory Greek language proficiency. Committee chair Savia Orphanidou noted that there are approximately 1,400 registered nurses currently not practicing, questioning why the system fails to utilize this domestic labor force.

The debate over university hospitals and clinical training also remains deadlocked, with stakeholders unable to bridge differing views despite ongoing consultations. The legislative path forward remains uncertain as the committee failed to secure a clear path toward a majority vote for either initiative. Future sessions will need to reconcile the government’s urgent need for staffing with the labor demands set by political parties.