The Pancyprian Medical Association (PIS) will press for harsher penalties for people who use the title of doctor without a degree or the required qualifications, following complaints about unlicensed medical centres offering so-called alternative therapies.
According to reports in the local media, the issue was at the centre of a meeting on Monday between President Nikos Christodoulides, the Health Minister and the association. The president conveyed the government’s readiness to act against practices that in some cases put patients’ lives at risk.
The government has separately been promoting tougher penalties for impersonating the medical profession.
The Health Minister has already received a list he requested of all premises where high-risk interventional treatments are provided. The list is understood to be at the evaluation stage.
The complaints follow two recent cases. Authorities in Larnaca are investigating possible breaches of the law after plasmapheresis machines were found at a medical centre in the city. The PIS is also investigating a Larnaca doctor who reportedly used the association’s logo.
