Cyprus parliament stalls on hiring nurses from third countries, only unions heard

Today's session of the parliamentary Health Committee ended without substantive progress on the government's amendments for employing nurses from third countries. The discussion was limited to the positions of the Ministry of Health and the unions, while hospital representatives were referred to a later meeting, despite their warnings about closing beds and postponing surgeries because of understaffing. Under the government proposal, nurses from third countries could cover up to 10% of the nursing and midwifery staff of each hospital and would have to hold the required qualifications and, as a rule, two years of professional experience. The government insists this is a temporary "bridge solution" until measures to attract new people into the profession deliver, while the unions repeat their opposition, saying the proposed rules do not address the real causes of the staff shortage.