Serious access and performance issues on the GESY electronic platform were reported from the morning of Monday, 12 January, with doctors and pharmacists warning that the situation has not only persisted but worsened.
Health professionals across Cyprus describe a system that intermittently freezes, loads extremely slowly, or becomes completely inaccessible, leading to long waiting times, postponed appointments and patients leaving without being served.
Doctors report systemic and recurring failures
Gastroenterologist Giorgos Dimitriou, speaking on Politis Radio this morning, described the disruptions as a long-standing, structural problem affecting healthcare professionals’ access to the GESY platform.
According to him, hundreds of patients were affected on Monday between 8.30am and 12.30pm, as doctors were unable to access electronic patient files, register visits or issue prescriptions. In many cases, prescriptions are completed at a later time, once the system became functional again.
“At times it freezes, at others it does not work at all. We call 17000 and receive the same response, that the issue will be resolved,” he said, noting that similar problems are reported daily by pharmacies.
He added that disruptions have reappeared in recent weeks, lasting from one to four hours at a time, with Mondays consistently proving the worst day for system performance.
Patients leave untreated, appointments rescheduled
Doctors report that the platform failures directly affect patient care, forcing clinics to reschedule appointments and leaving some patients unable or unwilling to wait.
A trainee doctor at the German Oncology Center in Limassol said that while the system functioned today, it was slow and prone to delays during peak hours. He noted that serous GESY platform failures occur two to three times every six months and described the issue as “extremely problematic.”
Several doctores have told Politis that disruptions were again reported today, with some doctors stating that the system had fully crashed.
Pharmacists: “We support GESY, but it does not support us”
Pharmacists describe some of the most acute consequences of the system failures. A pharmacist in Limassol said the platform failed both yesterday and today, causing “incredible inconvenience” for patients.
“Yesterday, a patient waited 20 minutes for their prescription to load. A queue formed behind them, and eventually everyone left without being served,” the pharmacist said.
She stressed that pharmacies bear significant operating costs, including staff and overheads, while the system prevents them from dispensing medication. “This happens so often that we no longer call to complain. We know the problem is widespread and chronic,” she added.
Speaking to Politis, the President of the Cypriot Pharmacists Association, Ploutarchos Georgiades, said problems with the GESY software persist, describing a system that remains slow and, in some cases, completely unavailable.
“People come to collect their medication and we are unable to serve them. Queues form in pharmacies and patients are forced to wait for long periods before we can execute prescriptions, provided the doctor has already managed to register them in the system,” Georgiades said.
He stressed that these are not isolated incidents, noting that software failures have become a frequent occurrence rather than an exception. “This is no longer a matter of one or two incidents. We had already expected the OAY and the contractor to resolve the issue,” he added.
Inside the GESY system
According to the Organisation for Health Insurance’s own descriptions, the GESY IT system goes well beyond a simple front-end platform, covering core operational functions such as provider contracting and enrolment, access to patient records within defined permissions, referrals, e-prescriptions and pharmacy execution, as well as the wider administrative back office. Repeated slowdowns affecting patient files and prescription processing point to stress within the system’s operational core.
Recent reporting has also highlighted structural vulnerabilities in the way the platform is managed. The software is operated by a main contractor and its subcontractors, with OAY acknowledging in the past that it does not always have direct technical control to intervene, relying instead on contractual mechanisms and pressure. Disruptions seen throughout 2024 and 2025 have been publicly linked to internal reorganisation following the departure of a key subcontractor, a shift that reportedly created technical gaps and instability, while parliamentary discussions back in May, have raised broader concerns about oversight and the resilience of the vendor ecosystem underpinning the system.
OAY acknowledges delays, points to technical causes
The Director of Information Technology at the Organisation for Health Insurance, Marios Djiakouris, acknowledged on Politis Radio this morning that the system has experienced performance delays over the past month, while insisting that it is not permanently dysfunctional.
He described Monday as “a particularly difficult day,” but said this was not the norm. He also noted that major issues seen in previous years had been resolved by the summer.
According to Djiakouris, the contractor has identified a possible cause, which may be linked to the systems used by certain doctors and pharmacists. However, he said there is no clear explanation for why the issue appears mainly on Mondays. A proposed technical fix is currently being tested and is expected within the coming days.
Asked why the contract with the current provider was renewed despite ongoing issues, Djiakouris said the renewal took place before the latest problems emerged and was subject to licensing and contractual obligations. He explained that a key subcontractor left after the renewal, creating new technical challenges. The contract expires in May 2026, at which point options will be reviewed.
He also expressed concern that the contractor has not acted preventively, while confirming ongoing coordination with the Deputy Ministry of Digital Policy, which is offering technical guidance.
No clear timeline for resolution
Despite assurances that a solution is being examined, healthcare professionals insist the disruptions are frequent and unresolved. The Organisation for Health Insurance (OAY) acknowledges the inconvenience but has yet to provide a clear timeline for a permanent fix.
Until then, patients and providers remain dependent on a system they are required to support, but which they say repeatedly fails to support them in return.