The promotion of health tourism to Cyprus could have a knock-on effect in the quality and cost of private healthcare provided on the island, operators said at the Heathcare Business Conference in Nicosia.
One problem identified is the lack of international accreditation. Currently the accreditation position is lagging considerably in Cyprus, a situation that has been ongoing for two years despite the Health Ministry promising to co-sponsor the accreditation applications of a number of private health institutions. So far, only the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Centre in Nicosia has been accredited by CHKS and Near East University Faculty of Dentistry in Lefkosahas been accredited by JCI’ although the latter is not interested in medical tourism.
The conference was told that the country is owed money from EU countries that it cannot reclaim as private healthcare institutions in Cyprus which treat foreign citizens resident in Cyprus under reciprocal treatment schemes cannot secure payment for the treatment from the national governments or insurance companies in question. Nikos Maroudias of the Cyprus Health Service Promotion Board argues, “The increase in the quality standards which comes with health tourism will also benefit local patients.”
The standards, service and perhaps, above all, cost of healthcare in Cyprus is deemed sufficiently competitive in the European market for the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) to have held a conference to promote and examine the industry. Dental treatment in Cyprus, for example, is on average about 40-50 per cent cheaper than the UK.
Manthos Mavromatis of the CCCI comments,” Cyprus is in line with European standards and in a harmonised position regarding the healthcare industry, so it is useful for Europeans who wish to undergo treatment. The Health Ministry has engaged in an unforgivable delay in certifying some private healthcare institutes. We call on the ministry to certify them, so that they can get on with doing their job.” The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) says there are 11 health centres yet to receive Health Ministry accreditation, where private investors have expressed an interest filed with the CTO under the Motivational Plan for the Improvement of the Tourist Product. The Cyprus Health Service Promotion Board is also pushing for accreditation.
With the economic crisis a drop in foreign custom as high as 30 per cent has been experienced by private healthcare providers on the island. This is a trend that has also been affected by cheaper alternative destinations being available for the medical tourist, such as Hungary, Bulgaria and Syria. Cyprus remains very competitive in terms of the costs involved but does need to work on remaining competitive and on lowering its prices.
After being hit by the recession and a fall in tourism numbers, one of the main hospitals in Nicosia was badly damaged by the recent storms that caused death and destruction across Europe.