Pregnant woman airlifted from Cyprus to Israel for emergency newborn surgery

On Wednesday night, February 11, 2026, a woman in her 35th week of pregnancy was urgently airlifted from Cyprus to Israel to ensure a safe delivery. Monica Kyriakou, Director of Health Services at the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), confirmed the transfer was necessary because the newborn requires immediate surgery upon birth. The air ambulance transport was arranged to utilize specialized medical facilities in Israel, which is approximately 360 kilometers from Cyprus. Since the HIO assumed responsibility for overseas medical transfers, a total of 27 air evacuations have been conducted. Out of these, 10 cases were classified as life-threatening emergencies requiring completion within hours. Kyriakou noted that Israel is the primary destination for such time-critical cases due to its geographic proximity compared to Athens or Istanbul. The transfer is considered a standard procedure for complex medical cases that cannot be managed locally.