Turkish Cypriot doctors warn of staff shortages at A&E

Turkish Cypriot doctors on Friday warned of staff and infrastructure shortages at accident and emergency departments across the north as demand continues to rise.

Cyprus Turkish medical association (KTTB) secretary-general Ceyhun Dalkan said the situation has “passed a critical point” due to “irregularities” in the north’s population and the health of those living there, as well as “policies aimed at saving the day” on the part of the ‘government’.

“The number of emergency medicine specialists at accident and emergency departments must be increased, accident and emergency departments must be organised, and the need for general practitioners must be met urgently,” he said.

He added that personnel gaps “must be filled” so that hospitals in the north can provide a full 24-hour service at its accident and emergency departments and other hospital departments.

Gaps which need to be filled, he said, include registration clerks, security guards, doormen, laboratory and x-ray technicians, and porter services.

With this in mind, he said, there is “chaos” at what he described as “inaccessible” public health services in the north.

He then said the Cengiz Topel hospital in Lefka, the Akcicek hospital in Kyrenia, and the Famagusta hospital must all have their accident and emergency departments “strengthened” with the hiring of more doctors and support personnel.

“Doctors are tired and exhausted in this chaos, with this lack of any system, and with how busy we are,” he said, adding that the problems at the north’s accident & emergency departments are “too serious to be ignored”.

“We are at the same time concerned about our patients’ access to healthcare and tired of being this busy. These major problems in accessing healthcare services must be a top priority for this government and especially the health ministry, and must be resolved quickly,” he said.