Defence Redefined

Published on 10/05/2020 at 10:53

According to recent reports, investors are interested in operating the 106 military hospital (106 SNE) of the National Guard (NG), which is located inside the camp “Lt General Vasilios Kapotas” in Nicosia.

According to the reports, Cypriot investors operating in the United States are interested in exploiting the hospital using the lease method, but no decisions have been made by the Ministry of Defence.

According to “Haravgi”, the General Director of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. George Georgiou, stated, among other things, that the ministry is examining all the options regarding the utilization of the military hospital.

“We want to continue to provide medical care to the soldiers, but also to the personnel working in the National Guard. That is why we are considering three main perspectives: the full operation of the hospital with permanent military personnel, under the management of State Health Services Organisation, but also the possibility of its use by the private sector.”

AKEL asked the government about the possible concession and exploitation of the new two-storey military hospital (located in the BMH area) to individuals. “Such a development would be tantamount to our country’s public health system,” the statement said.

In all the NG formations there are clinics with doctors and nurses (including Professional Soldiers) of the Medical department of the NG, however in some emergency cases and especially in non-working hours patients are referred to the First Aid Departments of General Hospitals of the Republic and not in the military hospital.

It should be noted that 106 SNE cannot function as a full-fledged hospital, because the military doctors who served in it have either resigned en masse in recent years to work in the private sector or to join the National Health Care System (GESY). According to a publication of “Phileleftheros”, the Minister of Defence Savvas Angelidis, answering a relevant question of MP Michalis Giorgallas, informed the Parliament in a letter dated 5/9/2019 that the National Guard currently has a total of 29 doctors (out of a total of 52 in 2008) of whom seven are specialist doctors, 19 general practitioners (two of whom are resigning) while the other three are specialist doctors at the Nicosia General Hospital. As Mr. Angelidis assures in his letter to the Parliament, the Ministry of Defence is making continuous efforts to stop the resignations and to create more attractive working conditions. In this context, he adds, the latest amendment of the relevant Regulations by the Parliament aims to include the doctors of the National Guard in the GESY.

At this stage, according to the publication, the military hospital has doctors with the following specialties: physician, ophthalmologist who performs duties as Commander, dermatologist, psychiatrist, cardiologist and a neurologist from Greece. Doctors specializing in orthopedics and anesthesiology were transferred to Health units in formations due to official needs. With regard to surgeries, they cannot be performed due to the lack of the required surgical specialties in the military hospital. According to the Directorate of Health of the Medical Department of the NG, all the medical equipment currently in the military hospital is fully used, is of modern technology and sufficient.

The new military hospital was built on the site of the old 106 SNE where the former British Military Hospital (BMH) used to be, and was handed over in December 2016 after problems in the construction process. The construction of the new building, which cost about 2 million euros, was deemed necessary due to the outdated facilities of the original hospital. The new building of 106 SNE has a restaurant, canteen, blood collection area, sanitary facilities, clinical lab, and other ancillary areas on the ground floor. On the first floor, which is not fully used, there are two other surgeries (aseptic and septic), a double officer’s ward and four soldiers’ wards (20 sq.m.), each with toilets and showers.