Cyprus weighs buying its own air ambulance as ministry reviews treatment-abroad support
Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides told MPs a dedicated medical aircraft is under study, while income limits for families sent overseas for care may be scrapped.
Cyprus is examining whether to buy a dedicated aircraft for transporting patients, Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides told parliamentarians during a review of his ministry's 2027 budget, as reported by Cyprus Mail. No decision has been taken, he said, with the outcome set to hinge on how many people actually need care abroad.
The ministry is also rethinking the financial aid it gives families who travel for treatment. At present households above €100,000 in income are excluded, but a ministry spokesperson said the government is looking at dropping income tests altogether. Charalambides added that advance payments — tickets booked through partner agencies and the first days of accommodation — could ease the burden until reimbursements come through.
The minister stressed that patients treated by specialists overseas should be able to continue, provided medical papers confirm the procedure is unavailable on the island. The health insurance organisation has previously pressed for a state air ambulance to reduce dependence on Greece, while the patients' association Osak puts the annual bill at roughly €2.6 million, with about 100 people airlifted in ten months. The matter gained urgency in February when a patient lost a lung transplant abroad because no partner airline could fly him.
What it means for residents
Anyone whose treatment cannot be delivered in Cyprus depends on flights that are arranged case by case. A state aircraft and looser eligibility rules would shorten waiting and cut upfront costs, but nothing is settled yet — so plan as if the current scheme still applies.
- Keep paperwork. Approval for care abroad rests on documentation showing the procedure is not offered locally, so gather specialist reports early.
- Budget the gap. Even under the current scheme, families often pay first and are reimbursed later; advance ticket and hotel arrangements are only under discussion.
- Watch the 2027 budget. The income threshold and the aircraft purchase will be decided in the coming months.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
