So, as part of Cyprus' healthcare development strategy, the State Health Organisation (OKYpY) has given the green light to a major renovation project for Archbishop Makarios Hospital in Nicosia.
The plan is to set up new emergency departments and give existing medical facilities a thorough modern makeover.
The project will kick off once we've submitted an official application to the Department of Environment. As the release says, the new construction will be on a state-owned plot of land that's about 62,367 m2 in size, to the southwest of the current hospital building. The project includes building a new independent wing that will be integrated with the existing medical facilities. We're going to focus on creating a modern emergency department and doing a big internal renovation of the main building, including rebuilding the gynaecology and maternity wards, and the paediatric surgery department.
The project should take about 27 months. About 145 specialists will be working on the construction, which will be done in stages so that the hospital can keep going as normal.
The first stage of the work is to build a new building. At the same time, we'll start renovating the gynaecology department on the first floor of the main building. When we're done with this bit, we'll start doing up the first maternity ward, and then the second one. Once that's done, we'll be doing the same to all the rooms on the first floor of the old building. At the same time, the new building will also be up and running.
The last stage is going to be all about doing up the paediatric surgery department on the second floor of the building we've already got, and making sure all the new and old buildings are connected.
The new building will be a modern medical facility with three above-ground floors and one underground level.
The basement will be used for parking. The ground floor will be where the paediatric emergency department is. The paediatric neurology and rare diseases departments will also be located here. The second floor is going to be home to the burn and surgical departments.
The paediatric neurology department is going to have four beds in two wards, rooms for examinations, a breastfeeding room, toilet facilities and rooms for staff and patients. The department for rare diseases and genetics will also have four beds, a play area and all the necessary technical and sanitary facilities. The burn and surgical departments will have two single wards and one double ward, a sterile operating theatre and all the extra hygiene facilities you could need.
This project is a big deal for Cyprus' healthcare system, and it's all about making big improvements to the quality of medical services for women, children and patients with special needs.