Politics / June 25, 2024 Yes, they disagree on Gaza. But the Democratic primary rivals are also far apart when it comes to taxing billionaires and multinational corporations. Ad Policy Jamaal Bowman and George Latimer during a debate on May 13, 2024.(News12) Media coverage of Tuesday’s Democratic primary battle between US Rep. Jamaal Bowman—the progressive … Read more
“It’s not enough just to undo the damage of the Trump tax law—our tax code wasn’t fair before that,” said the Chairman of the Budget Committee Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing, titled “Making Wall Street Pay Its Fair Share: … Read more
Parents of children with haematological and oncological conditions are concerned about the construction works planned at Makareio Hospital. They argue that building near clinics treating immunocompromised patients can be extremely dangerous. The Cyprus Pediatric Society warns of the risks, specifically mentioning the potential increase in hospital fungal infections, such as aspergillosis. Despite opposition from parents and medical professionals, the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) has suggested relocating the Pediatric Oncology Clinic temporarily to another part of the hospital, which is not seen as a suitable solution. The decision to upgrade Makareio Hospital instead of building a new, modern hospital has been made without consulting those directly involved, raising concerns about the safety and health of the children undergoing treatment. The focus should be on prioritizing the health and well-being of these vulnerable patients.
Cyprus is facing a nursing shortage of between 450 and 500 nurses, which is impacting the operations of clinics and hospitals. The shortage is expected to increase as nurses retire. To address this issue, the employers’ and industrialists’ federation (Oev) is suggesting hiring nurses from third countries and utilizing third country nationals who study nursing in Cyprus. Private hospitals are already struggling to find staff to hire, and there are concerns about lowering the number of hours required to train nurses in Cyprus, which could impact patient safety.
Fact: The mental health nursing staff branch of trade union Pasydy will participate in a one-hour work stoppage to protest understaffing on Thursday.
Unions representing public hospital nurses demanded the hiring of another 170 nurses due to staff shortages. Public hospitals are always short-staffed, with significant shortages caused by retirements, transfers, and staff on leave. Private hospitals have more flexible working conditions and can service the same number of beds with a third of the nurses. The health ministry and Okypy should focus on making better use of hospital staff rather than hiring more nurses. Some nurses are seconded to other parts of the public sector and not performing nursing duties, contributing to the staffing shortage.
– The opposition proceedings in the case brought against auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides by attorney-general George Savvides were filed by Odysseas’ team of lawyers.
– The opposition is based on two points: the application of the AG to the constitutional council is groundless and the AG does not have the authority to seek the sacking of an independent state official.
– Odysseas’ camp is applying pressure on the president to publicly side with him.
– The head of the anti-corruption authority demanded criminal charges against the drug squad chief, possibly linked to the Odysseas-Savvides clash.
– Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah urged Syrians to head for Cyprus and Europe to pressure Brussels to give Lebanon more funds for Syrian refugees.
– Parents were upset over the difficulty of questions in modern Greek exams for secondary school students.
– State hospital nursing unions are threatening industrial action if more nurses are not hired.
– The president announced the decision to appoint two criminal investigators before the cabinet approved it.
The nursing staff branch of trade union Pasydy warned of potential strikes due to ongoing understaffing issues in public hospitals. They accused the state health service (Okypy) of not honoring an agreement made in February 2023 regarding staffing needs for nurses. Pasydy stated that there is a dire need to hire over 170 nurses in public hospitals and gave Okypy a deadline to clarify their plans. Okypy spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou defended the organization, stating they employ the largest number of nurses in Cyprus and aim to fully utilize existing nursing staff. Pasydy released a statement expressing concern over the health ministry’s lack of intention to address staffing shortages, leading them to consider taking measures to compel the ministry to address the issues seriously.
The Detroit City Council approved a 15-year extension of the Renaissance Zone Act, allowing the Detroit Medical Center to continue receiving tax exemptions.
Nurses in Cyprus are often treated with contempt despite being the cornerstone of the health system. There are significant shortages of nurses and midwives in the country, and efforts are being made to attract, recruit, and retain them. The government has expressed support for nurses, but there are concerns about reducing the number of training hours for nurses, which could endanger patient safety and infringe upon their human rights. Cypriot nurses’ EU freedom of movement may be jeopardized if the directive is discarded.