Dozens of beds remain unused at Larnaca hospital — patients wait hours for admission

At Larnaca General Hospital, a portion of hospital beds remains unused, causing patients to wait several hours for admission. This was reported by patients who filed complaints with the media.

According to them, not all available beds are being utilized across various hospital departments. For instance, wards designed for 28–30 patients sometimes only use 18–20 beds.

Based on available information, approximately 25 beds currently remain inactive, leading to delays in patient admissions. Many patients arrive from the emergency department or outpatient clinics and are forced to wait for a vacancy.

One patient reported spending 48 hours on a gurney in the emergency department while waiting for a free bed in a specialized ward.

The State Health Services Organization (OKYPY) explained that the number of beds in use is determined by current hospital needs. According to spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou, some beds may be kept in reserve during the winter period to be used in the event of a surge in illnesses, such as seasonal flu epidemics.

He also noted that the case of the patient waiting 48 hours for admission was likely an isolated incident that might occur roughly once a year.