First children’s hospice for Cyprus to open in July

The hospice’s Commissioning Group has announced that the state-of-the-art new building in the Paphos village of Mesa Chorio will be operational from 7 July 2014.

The hospice will be the only facility of its kind in Cyprus offering palliative care for children alongside adults.

It will initially open with ten beds, and offer free palliative care, as well as respite care and support to all in need, regardless of age, nationality, religion or the nature of the illness.

According to a press release from the hospice, the next step is to recruit the key members of staff who will be needed to operate the facility, starting with the medical director and nurse manager. Once appointed, the nurse manager will appoint and train the nursing and volunteer team.

It has taken ten years and thousands of fund-raising events to raise the €2 million which has enabled the hospice dream to become a reality, and fundraising efforts will continue to be essential to ensure the future success of the venture.

Hospice Chairman, Father Carlos, commented: “The Commissioning Group would like to thank the many individuals and organisations who have got us to the point we are at now, and look forward to providing a facility that the whole island of Cyprus can be justifiably proud of!”