Emergency departments prepare for increased pressure on 15 August

The emergency departments of Cyprus’s public hospitals and the ambulance service are on full alert ahead of 15 August. This was announced by Charalambos Charilaou, spokesperson for the State Health Services Organisation (OKYPY).

According to him, the workload in emergency departments traditionally increases during the summer. Medical staff are currently treating patients with heat exhaustion, sunburn and minor injuries, while the number of hospitalisations has also risen.

Charilaou noted that emergency departments and the ambulance service are continuously staffed with the necessary doctors and personnel, as it is impossible to predict in advance when serious or emergency situations may arise.

Special attention is being paid to road accidents. In summer, the increased intensity of traffic can lead to a rise in the number of road accidents on certain days, which is why the services remain on heightened alert.

According to the OKYPY representative, the overall nature and number of cases this year do not differ significantly from the figures recorded in previous years. High temperatures also lead to an increase in the number of visits. Emergency departments are receiving people suffering from heat exhaustion and sunburn, as well as minor injuries sustained in the mountains or at sea.

There are currently no cases of heatstroke among hospitalised patients. At the same time, quite a few people are seeking medical attention with symptoms of heat exhaustion. They are mainly children, older people and patients with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

After examination, most of these patients leave the hospitals without requiring hospitalisation.