Cancer charities raise concerns over hospital improvements

Child cancer charities on Sunday expressed deep concern over changes planned to the Makarios children’s hospital in Nicosia.

Members of five charities that support children with haematological and oncological diseases in Cyprus on Friday held a meeting with the Paediatric Oncology Clinic of the hospital with House President Annita Demetriou and members of the House health and education committees.

Their problems are with the decisions by Okypy (which runs state health services) regarding the extensions and upgrades at the hospital and how they affect the health and safety of the children in the paediatric oncology clinic.

Although the patients of the pediatric oncology clinic are very high-risk, the said, no action has been taken to address the high levels of dust and other toxic gases or microparticles created by the new construction or other adverse consequences.

They expressed “deep concern and reasonable fear” as construction work is linked to aspergillosis (a fungus), which has a mortality rate of 30-95 per cent, while in patients with bone marrow transplantation it amounts to 80-100 per cent.

“No active or passive protection measures of the pediatric oncology clinic have been taken,” the charities said.

In a letter handed to the minister of health, they called for the improved hospital to focus on the design and construction of a new paediatric oncology clinic.

“If, financial reasons, force the minister to reject this proposal, it is the position of all of us that work on the new buildings should not begin until active and passive measures are taken to protect the children of the paediatric oncology clinic,” they said.

Okypy officials present at the meeting so no construction contract will be signed until there are clear answers.