House agrees to amend doctor registration law

The House health committee on Thursday agreed that the law on the registration of doctors should be amended for those deciding to practice or further their education abroad.

Specifically, the amendment would remove the compulsory insurance payment currently required by those registering with the medical board if they were to go abroad for two or three years, either to study or to do their placement.

Health Minister Michael Damianos, who was present at the session, said that someone completing medical studies should register with the medical board, adding that in order to practice the profession, insurance is obviously a must.

The problem, he explained, arises when people who want to register because they have finished their studies decide they want to work or further their training abroad.

“Even if they will not be practicing medicine in the republic, they are essentially forced by the legislation to take out insurance when they will not even be in Cyprus,” he said.

Echoing the minister, committee chair Efthymios Diplaros said that as it stands the law is unfair, which justifies the amendment.

“We accept the referral, the specific paragraph will be removed and the amended law will be published within the next few days,” he said.

Legal Service spokesperson Dena Ergatoudi stressed that the amendment in question is made expressly only for this specific provision and does not apply to other provisions.