Arodafnousa Hospice “back on its feet”

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According to the Cyprus Mail, the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society, which runs the hospice, suffered heavy losses as a result of the “haircut on deposits” last year.

In order to receive an international bailout to support the country after the financial crisis in 2012/13, the Cypriot government was required to impose a one-time bank deposit levy on all uninsured deposits in the country. The Anti-Cancer Society’s own bank account was badly hit, which also had a knock-on effect on the charity’s ability to raise revenue.

Patients were turned away from the hospice as the lack of funds meant having to close the hospice’s 15 beds in May 2013. Staff salaries and benefits were also cut by 25% and eight nurses were made redundant.

Thanks to a number of generous donations and hard work by charitable organisations, the hospice is now operational again, although is still working at a reduced capability.

The Friends’ Hospice in Paphos was also forced to shut down for a number of months last year, in part due to the the economic crisis, but reopened in a new location in October.

Vassos Shiarly, chairman of the Anti-cancer Society, hopes to get the government to take their share of the responsibility. “Everywhere in Europe, cancer care is looked after by the government. In Cyprus, it has been taken care of by charitable organisations,” he said.

Read the full story in the Cyprus Mail online.

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