Serious questions about the functioning and readiness of the Accidents and Emergency Department (A&E) at Nicosia General Hospital have been raised following a complaint from a mother who described hours-long delays in the treatment of her 2.5-year-old child after a head injury.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of 24 October, when the child suffered a head wound and was immediately taken to Nicosia General Hospital with bleeding.
According to the mother’s written complaint, the child was examined by a paediatrician who determined that the injury required stitches. However, she was informed that the paediatrician could not perform the procedure and that a paediatric surgeon would need to be called.
While waiting for the specialist to arrive, the mother alleges that she overheard a phone conversation between the paediatrician and the paediatric surgeon, during which the surgeon reportedly advised the paediatrician to perform the stitches herself. When the paediatrician replied that she did not know how to do so, the surgeon allegedly offered to guide her through the procedure over the phone.
In her letter addressed to the State Health Services Organisation (OKYPY) and the Ministry of Health, the mother raises concerns about the availability of specialised doctors during shifts, the organisation of the A&E Department, and the level of preparedness for similar emergencies.
Complaint also involves private hospital
Speaking to Politis, the mother - who requested anonymity - said that before taking her child to the general hospital’s A&E, she had contacted a private hospital by phone. After informing them of the child’s injury, she was told that the private A&E did not accept paediatric cases and was advised to go to the general hospital instead.
“When we realised at the public hospital that no paediatric surgeon was coming,” she said, “I contacted my child’s paediatrician, who intervened to help us be admitted by a specialist at the private hospital.”
According to the mother, the private hospital - whose A&E she had first contacted - eventually agreed to admit the child for stitches only after the paediatrician at Nicosia General Hospital confirmed that the child’s reflexes were normal and there was no risk of neurological damage.
Answers sought
Speaking to Politis, OKYPY spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou said that the complaint is under investigation, and clarifications have already been requested from the paediatricians who were on duty at the time.
He added that explanations have also been sought regarding the fact that Nicosia General Hospital operates a Trauma Centre on active duty, staffed with experienced doctors at the A&E who should have been able to handle the incident.