Board of Directors Term of Office: 2009–2011

Upon assuming its duties, the Board of Directors had to address the following issues:

1. Pharmaceutical Products. Not all medications required by patients were available through state pharmacies (Asacol, Salofalk).
2. Understaffing of public hospitals with specialist gastroenterologists. In many cases, gastroenterologists were grouped under internal medicine departments and had to examine patients with general health conditions, leaving insufficient time to assist people with gastroenterological disorders.
3. Surgical Procedures. These highly specialized operations were being performed in Cyprus by general surgeons.
4. When the disease affected children, there was no specialist paediatric gastroenterologist either at Makarios Hospital or in the private sector.

The Board made numerous and persistent efforts through letters and meetings with the Minister of Health and other senior Ministry officials to address the above issues. Following our interventions, combined with the positive approach shown by both the Minister and Ministry officials, the following arrangements were made:

1. Pharmaceutical Products. If a patient requires a specific medication that is not provided through the State Pharmaceutical Services, the treating physician must scientifically justify the need for that medication. If approved by the state, the necessary arrangements will be made through the Pharmaceutical Services for its supply.

b. Understaffing of Public Hospitals with Gastroenterologists. Unfortunately, it was not possible to resolve this issue, as the Minister informed us that there was no interest from gastroenterologists in taking up positions within public hospitals.

1. Surgical Procedures. We discussed this issue with the Minister during a meeting. Due to the need for the state to reduce costs, we proposed cooperation with specialist surgeon Dr. Paris Tekkis, who lives and works in London. The Minister viewed our proposal positively and proceeded with cooperation with the specific surgeon.

• Staffing Makarios Hospital with a Specialist Paediatric Gastroenterologist. Numerous meetings were held, but unfortunately, as the Minister informed us, there was no interested specialist available to fill such a position at Makarios Hospital. During a later meeting with the Director of the Paediatric Clinic at Makarios Hospital (Dr. Andreas Hadjidemetriou), we requested collaboration with a specialist from the United Kingdom. The Association had already held discussions with a specific UK specialist who expressed willingness to visit Cyprus three to four times per year to review complex cases and transfer expertise to Cypriot specialists. Dr. Hadjidemetriou responded very positively and proposed expanding the existing collaboration with King’s College London. The process moved forward rapidly, and support from King’s College was also requested for paediatric gastroenterology matters. A recent newspaper article on the subject was attached.

Other Activities:

● Participation in European Federation Conferences

● Participation in meetings of the Cyprus Volunteerism Association

● Organization of events and activities