The Observatory of the Third Age of Cyprus expresses strong disapproval of the law that the House of Representatives passed yesterday and which concerns the operation of Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers.
Despite the well-documented positions, recommendations and interventions we submitted, together with the Cyprus Patient Associations Federation and the Cyprus Confederation of Disabled Organizations, at all stages of the process, the Parliament ignored the essential arguments and proceeded to pass a law that legitimizes distortions, entrenches inequalities and undermines the right of patients and citizens to equal and quality restoration.
Maintaining the artificial categorization of Centers into Class A and B, without any scientific or qualitative documentation, imposes discrimination and introduces a two-tier system. And the summary in the law of medical procedures and the guidance from the law on how the OAU will treat the providers of the NHS in the future cannot be accepted.
Instead of establishing a single, fair and effective framework, a regime of privilege is maintained that weakens rehabilitation as a key pillar of health care. Particularly unacceptable is the scandalous provision that exempts some centers, which operate with a private hospital license, from the evaluation process, while other units are forced to comply with strict conditions.
Such selective exemptions catalyze equality and meritocracy, forming a framework of unequal treatment that affects the quality and safety of the services provided. Equally problematic is the transitional provision that imposes building requirements only on rooftops, leaving out private hospitals. Such regulation exacerbates inequalities, maintains an unequal regulatory regime and undermines the transparency and fairness of the system.
The Observatory of the Third Age strongly emphasizes that the law, as passed, does not meet the real needs of the sick, the disabled and the elderly. Instead of being a tool for progress and strengthening care, it consolidates inequalities, creates ambiguities and locks a critical health sector into a framework that will negatively affect the daily lives of thousands of citizens.
