Free afternoon surgery program launched

A free afternoon surgery program, approved in Parliament two weeks ago to reduce surgery waiting times and address a backlog of approximately 37,000 patients awaiting procedures through the National Health System, is set to launch on Thursday.

Deputy Health Minister Marios Themistokleous, responding to a series of questions asked by Kathimerini, underlined that the program aims to ultimately reduce waiting periods for surgery through the National Health System to four months. At present, the wait can range from one to four years.

Patients will need to have already been on the National Health System's surgery waiting list for at least four months to be eligible for entry into the program for free afternoon surgery, he explained. 

A comprehensive operating schedule for December has already been established under the new system, accommodating 1,800 cases,...