NICOSIA - Patients who were on the waiting list for surgical procedures at Nicosia General Hospital (NGH) in 2012 had to wait up to 14 months for their surgery date, according to the hospital’s annual report.
The waiting time had almost doubled from six months in 2010 to between eight and 10 months in 2011, while the number of patients awaiting surgery had risen from 1800 to 2600.
The surgical department at NGH has been working on overload for months as a result of the financial burden of the crisis, while the number of admitted patients, out patients and surgical patients has skyrocketed over the last two years.
The report also mentions that the addition of new surgical specialisations such as liver and pancreas cancer surgeries have also played a role in the extension of the waiting time, although it has saved an estimated six million euros over the last two years.
Opening up more beds and operation theatres is imminent as the department looks to speed up the process and accommodate more patients, says the report.