Marios Charalambides was appointed, on Wednesday, by the Council of Ministers, as the first Patient Ombudsman.
In statements at the Presidential Palace after the Cabinet meeting, Health Minister Michael Damianos told the press that this “is a historic day for the health system in Cyprus.”
He said that with the appointment “every citizen in Cyprus now has a voice, power and feels protected.”
The Minister said that this is a step that enhances the transparency and credibility of the system, but also an act of respect for the patients.
Damianos said that the decision constitutes a significant development for organised patients and for the health system, adding that the appointment of an Ombudsman has been a permanent request of the Federation of Cyprus Patients’ Associations.
He went on to say that organised patients were demanding an independent body capable of effectively defending their rights and contributing substantially to the improvement of the health system.
Federation of Cyprus Patients’ Associations welcomed the appointment and expressed its gratitude to the President of the Republic for his long-standing support.
It said in an announcement that the Patient Ombudsman comes to fill an existing gap and the institution will be an independent body to which patients can turn when their rights are violated or when they encounter problems in healthcare services.
Charalambides, the organised patients said, was one of the individuals officially nominated by their association, in the context of the procedure provided for by the relevant legislation.
He has deep knowledge of health issues and the challenges faced by patients, as well as many years of experience in the field of representation, serving to date as Secretary General of the Association’s Executive Committee.