The House Health Committee has postponed discussion of a bill regulating the employment of nurses from third countries, despite the issue being formally scheduled on its agenda for 11:30 on Thursday.
The decision followed a meeting at the Ministry of Health between nursing unions, Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides and the chairman of the Health Committee, Efthymios Diplaros. The meeting ended without agreement.
Protest planned outside Parliament
Following the deadlock, union representatives, accompanied by a group of nursing students from the Cyprus University of Technology (Tepak), gathered outside the House of Representatives intending to protest and prevent the discussion from going ahead.
The mobilisation did not proceed after assurances were given that the bill would not be discussed.
The latest development effectively freezes the bill’s progress, with indications that it will be shelved until June, when a new composition of the House Health Committee is expected to take over.
Private sector reaction expected
At the same time, a reaction from the private sector is considered likely. A meeting has already been scheduled for next week at the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB), which includes the Pancyprian Association of Private Hospitals (PASIN) and the Association of Rehabilitation and Recovery Centres.
Both bodies are directly affected by staffing shortages and have previously expressed opposition to delaying the bill.
What the bill proposes
The proposed legislation would allow for the employment of nurses from third countries through registration in the Nurses Registry under specific conditions.
Among its provisions, the bill removes the current requirement for a postgraduate qualification, raises the required level of Greek language proficiency, and sets a maximum employment cap of 10% per unit.
The measure has been promoted as a response to ongoing staffing shortages, while unions have voiced strong concerns over its potential impact on the quality of healthcare services.