Efstathiou Elisavet, Theophilou Leda, Angeli Stelios, Hadjipanayis Adamos
Department of Paediatrics, Larnaca General Hospital, Larnaca, Cyprus.
St George's University of London, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Turk Pediatri Ars. 2020 Sep 1;55(Suppl 1):24-40. doi: 10.14744/TurkPediatriArs.2020.17047. eCollection 2020.
This article describes the child healthcare system in Cyprus up to June 2019. Before that Cyprus used to be the only country in the European Union without a universal National Health System. Up to 2019 child healthcare in Cyprus consisted of two separate sectors: the public and the private system. The public healthcare system is financed by the government, while in the private sector the patients pay themselves or are covered by private insurance. There is easy access to acute medical care in the emergency departments of five public hospitals across the country. However, primary care is not available free-of-charge to all children. Primary healthcare is delivered in the paediatric outpatient departments of various public and private hospitals and clinics, as well as by numerous paediatricians within private practices. Secondary care is provided mainly in the public sector and to a lesser extent in private clinics. Tertiary care is available only centrally in the capital of Cyprus, at a dedicated university-affiliated maternity and children's public hospital with specialist paediatric services. Current major child health challenges in Cyprus include dealing with obesity, mental health, chronic illnesses, and vulnerable groups. However, the basic available health indicators for children show an improving trend over time. A national healthcare system was introduced at the end of 2017 and is expected to remove the inequalities and discrepancies that currently extend over the area of child health by tackling financial, quality, equity, efficiency, and effectiveness issues.
本文介绍了截至2019年6月塞浦路斯的儿童医疗保健系统。在此之前，塞浦路斯曾是欧盟唯一没有全民国家医疗体系的国家。截至2019年，塞浦路斯的儿童医疗保健由两个独立的部门组成：公共部门和私营部门。公共医疗保健系统由政府资助，而在私营部门，患者需自行付费或由私人保险覆盖。在全国五家公立医院的急诊科，可轻松获得急性医疗护理。然而，并非所有儿童都能免费获得初级保健。初级医疗保健在各公立和私立医院及诊所的儿科门诊部提供，也由众多私人执业的儿科医生提供。二级医疗主要在公共部门提供，在私人诊所提供的程度较低。三级医疗仅在塞浦路斯首都集中提供，在一家专门的大学附属妇产儿童医院提供专科儿科服务。塞浦路斯目前主要的儿童健康挑战包括应对肥胖、心理健康、慢性病和弱势群体问题。然而，现有的儿童基本健康指标显示，随着时间的推移呈改善趋势。2017年底引入了国家医疗体系，预计通过解决财务、质量、公平、效率和效果问题，消除目前在儿童健康领域存在的不平等和差异。
