Cyprus parliament establishes National Ambulance Authority

The Cypriot parliament passed legislation to establish a National Ambulance Authority by December 31, 2026. This move transitions oversight away from the Organisation of State Health Services (SHSO) to the Ministry of Health. Under the new law, state ambulances will be reserved for life-threatening emergencies, while private providers will handle over 45,000 annual non-emergency patient transfers within the General Healthcare System (GHS). The new authority will oversee certification, manage registries for providers and paramedics, and operate an emergency coordination center. The legislation passed with 33 votes, while 12 AKEL party members abstained due to concerns over relying on the private sector and the current exhaustion of state staff. SHSO officials have indicated they will seek compensation for investments made in equipment and infrastructure since the service was temporarily transferred to them. The government aims to improve pre-hospital care, while critics argued for the need to hire more public staff instead of privatizing non-emergency services.