Cyprus Parliament passes law creating National Ambulance Service

The Parliament of Cyprus has approved a law establishing the National Ambulance Authority, aimed at improving the medical transport system and reducing patient waiting times. The new structure will be responsible for planning, organizing, and coordinating all ambulance services on the island.

According to official data from the current ambulance service, more than 95,000 patient transports are performed annually in Cyprus. Over 45,000 of these cases are non-emergency — such as transporting bedridden patients for examinations, to hospitals, or diagnostic centers.

Under the new law, some of these transports can be carried out by private licensed services, allowing state ambulance crews to focus exclusively on truly urgent and life-threatening situations.

The new body will also be responsible for ambulance certification, registration of service providers and rescuers, and quality and safety control of the care provided. Three registries will be created: a registry of ambulance service providers, a registry of ambulances, and a registry of rescuers.

In addition, the creation of an operational coordination center to receive calls and dispatch crews is planned, as well as an accident and emergency management center to coordinate actions during major incidents.

The transition of the ambulance system to the management of the new authority will be completed by December 31, 2026. Until then, the service will continue to operate under the State Health Services Organisation (OKYpY), which previously stated its intention to seek compensation for resources invested in the service's development.