Nurses at Larnaca General Hospital have warned that staff are reaching breaking point, citing chronic overcrowding, long waits for hospital beds and increasing levels of overtime as they demand permanent solutions to longstanding operational problems.
The concerns prompted a spontaneous one-hour work stoppage on Tuesday, organised by PASYDY and its nursing branch, with staff protesting what they described as worsening working conditions and unsustainable pressure on frontline healthcare workers.
Overcrowding drives concerns
According to the unions, the main issue is persistent overcrowding across hospital wards, which has left patients waiting for hours in the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) before a hospital bed becomes available.
Hospital management recently opened five additional beds staffed through overtime arrangements, but nurses say the measure has failed to address the underlying problem.
"The nursing staff has reached the limits of professional burnout," the unions said in a statement.
They argued that nurses are increasingly being required to work continuous overtime shifts to meet basic staffing needs, placing their own physical and mental wellbeing, as well as patient safety, at risk.
Staff say system relies on overtime
Union representative Andronikos Andronikou said the hospital has faced operational challenges for years and continues to depend heavily on the goodwill of nursing staff.
He said nurses regularly work overtime to cover core ward requirements and ensure patients receive care.
According to Andronikou, hospitals in the Larnaca district have experienced steadily increasing demand in recent years, placing additional strain on staff and resources.
"With every means available we are trying to keep nurses in the departments to care for patients," he said.
Long waits for beds reported
Complaints about shortages of available beds at Larnaca General Hospital are not new.
In recent years, reports have emerged of patients remaining in the emergency department for extended periods while waiting for admission to inpatient wards.
Some complaints have alleged waits of up to 24 hours before suitable beds became available.
AKEL raises staffing concerns
The Larnaca District Committee of AKEL also issued a statement, arguing that understaffing at the hospital is a longstanding problem.
The party said repeated interventions had failed to produce meaningful action and warned that shortages were affecting both staff and patients.
AKEL noted complaints that current staffing levels cover only a portion of the hospital's actual needs and argued that the situation poses risks to patient care.
"The health of patients is a public good," the statement said, adding that long waits in emergency departments continue to cause significant hardship for patients seeking treatment.
