Cyprus News | Poor Ranking in the 2014 Euro Health Index

Cyprus News | Poor Ranking in the 2014 Euro Health IndexThe south was placed 25th out of 36 countries around Europe in the 2014 Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI), no change from the previous year. The report found

“The deterioration in terms of access and information to patients, the waiting and the extent and scope of services, based on descriptions from the measurements of 2013 seems to have slowed down and even stopped.”

Abortion Ban

According to Dr Arne Bjornberg, president of the Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP), which produces the report annually:

“Cyprus is one of the four European countries that received a zero score in the EHCI table because of the abortion ban, which is bad both for human rights and for women’s health.”

Caesarian Delivery Overuse

50% of all babies are delivered through Caesarians, putting the south top of the list from all 36 countries, or in fact the whole world, according to the report.

“The highest rates of Caesareans in the world are found in Cyprus, Greece and Latin America. HCP suspects that Caesarean sections may camouflage a lack of good information and support before delivery as well as lack of access to pain control.”

Antibiotic Overuse

“Also, unlike the other countries that have been affected by the crisis, there was no decline in the excessive use of antibiotics, which seriously contributes to the high incidence of persistent infections.”

Only 22% of people in the south were aware that antibiotics were no use in treating colds and flu – putting them second from the bottom, just above Portugal. Finland topped that list with over 70% being aware of the role of antibiotics.

Doctors Patients Ratio

Both Greece and the south scored high in the ratio of doctors to patients but low in the number of people who go to a doctor.

“The very low numbers of visits per doctor in Cyprus or Greece (which has by far the highest number of doctors per capita at 600 per 100,000) could possibly be due to the under-reporting of visits for tax evasion reasons.”

In another related section most respondents in the south said they expected that they would pay the doctor ‘under the table’.

Source: Cyprus Mail

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10 comments to Cyprus News | Poor Ranking in the 2014 Euro Health Index

  • Ian Edwards

    Hey Natalie,

    Are we to imply from this information that things, health-wise, are not rosy in the Rest of Cyprus?

    I guess the stats don’t include the TRNC…how do we rate in the same areas?

  • Natalie Nightingale

    In many ways the north and south are the same, especially with the attitude towards antibiotics which I can buy over the counter. The north would score higher though because of freely available abortions. When Erdogan banned abortions in Turkey in 2012 Turks came to the north to get them.

  • Miltiades

    Cyprus healthcare at a glance
    Healthcare in Cyprus is of a high standard, which is recognized by the World Health Organization to be on a par with developed countries. To illustrate this, foreign nationals entering Cyprus are not required to undergo any vaccinations because incidents of infectious diseases and epidemics throughout the country are low in number. Food and water safety are also strictly monitored by the Medical and Public Health Services Department.
    http://www.allianzworldwidecare.com/healthcare-in-cyprus

  • Miltiades

    LIFE EXPECTANCY:
    Total nations 193, Positions:

    CYPRUS at no. 21
    GERMANY 23
    GREECE 24
    UK 29
    TURKEY 96

    We tend to live longer than most European nations, that says something about the healthcare in Cyprus.

  • Miltiades

    “The Economist Intelligence Unit’s where-to-be-born index (previously called the quality-of-life index) attempts to measure which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead. It is based on a method that links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the objective determinants of quality of life across countries along with a forward-looking element.
    CYPRUS at no.23
    UK 27
    GREECE 34
    TURKEY 51

    You lucky people !!

  • Ian Edwards

    Yiannis, I don’t know where you got your figures from, but the NUMBEO Quality of Life rankings show:

    Australia 8
    UK 16
    Cyprus 17
    Greece 40
    Turkey 50

    I think all that goes to show is that you should always take any statistical quotations with a dose of salts….

  • Miltiades

    Just do a search on Google, Im sure you will find the link!! The proper one

  • Dominic Freeman

    Ian, apparently a survey showed that 87% of statistics were correct and 18% were incorrect.

  • AM

    Milti wrote… “We tend to live longer than most European nations, that says something about the healthcare in Cyprus.”

    We….We…..for christ sake you’ve lived in England for the last 60yrs ?

  • Miltiades

    I have two countries, I respect both and consider both as my countries.