Students with health problems often finish school only to spend long hours in hospital, instead of returning home, attending tutoring sessions, or taking part in afternoon activities. This daily reality was once again highlighted at the Education Committee of the House of Representatives, which continued discussions launched months ago on the challenges faced by children who, for health reasons, remain outside mainstream schooling for extended periods.
Within this context, a new option was presented that offers relief to certain student-patients and their families. As explained to the committee by Charalambos Charilaou, spokesperson for OKYpY, a programme is currently under way in cooperation with the Ministry of Health that aims to spare these students from having to travel to hospital for their treatment.
The initiative, known as the “nurse at home” programme, makes use of community nursing in specialised cases.
School in the morning, hospital in the afternoon
Charilaou explained that there are pupils who attend school in the morning and then head to hospital in the afternoon, often carrying their books with them, to undergo treatments that can last several hours. The programme applies to children who need therapy once a week or every 15 days and who, instead of travelling to the Day Care Centre of Makarios Hospital, can now receive their treatment at home.
Delivering care in the child’s familiar environment significantly reduces the strain on both the pupils and their families. At the same time, receiving treatment at home supports a more stable daily routine, which is particularly important for children’s wellbeing.
Targeted support through community nursing
Speaking to Politis after the committee session, Charilaou clarified that the programme concerns children with rare syndromes who require specialised treatments but do not need a doctor to be physically present. At present, two pupils are receiving treatment at home through community nursing, with scope to expand the programme if further needs arise.
From the Ministry of Health’s side, Chrysso Grigoriadou noted that community nursing is applied in carefully selected cases, precisely to reduce the burden on children and their families, since these are treatments that can safely be administered outside a hospital setting.