Third negligence claim after death at Larnaca general hospital

The daughter of a 92-year-old man who died after eight days in Larnaca general hospital on Monday raised serious concerns over his care, describing “tragic shortcomings, lack of communication and dangerous omissions” during his stay.

Speaking on CyBC, she called on the President to intervene in addition to the health minister and the Okypy administration.

“People need to see what’s happening,” she insisted.

The patient was admitted with a mild stroke and remained in the accident and emergency department for approximately five hours.

He was then transferred to the pulmonological clinic due to of a lack of available beds in the pathology wing.

According to his daughter, the transfer was made without clear medical instructions.

“He was given food and tea, even though he could not swallow,” she said, adding that he subsequently experienced aspiration in his lungs and his condition deteriorated.

She also alleged that the family was asked to sign consent forms to restrain her father because he was restless.

“They told us to sign so they could restrain him,” she said.

A member of the nursing staff later admitted that no instructions had been given regarding feeding.

The family requested the patient be transferred to either the pathology department or the intensive care unit, but the requests were not granted.

The daughter reported delays in placing a nasogastric tube, describing “repeated, but unsuccessful, attempts by staff,” which she said forced family members to attempt placement themselves.

The procedure was postponed once due to anticoagulant treatment given the previous night, but when performed, it lasted just two minutes without difficulty.

She claims her father’s condition deteriorated rapidly afterward, and he fell into a coma.

On his final day, she said she left for an hour and returned to find her father dead.

“I called out to them and I heard them say, ‘Really?’”

Responding to the allegations, Okypy said that no written complaint has been received regarding this specific incident.

“From the first publication of the complaint, instructions were given for an immediate investigation of the incident,” Okypy spokesman Charalambos Charilaou confirmed.

The organisation clarified that any official statement presupposes the completion of the relevant procedure.

Okypy is already investigating two cases reported in the past fortnight, the death of a 42-year-old woman after surgery and a complaint regarding a 72-year-old patient’s and the hospitalisation conditions.

State doctors union Pasyki on Monday emphasised the need for calm and institutional procedures, warning against premature conclusions.

“Public reports constitute complaints and third-party narratives and do not constitute cross-checked or proven facts in themselves,” the union said.

It stressed that targeting health professionals before investigations are complete “undermines the rule of law and trust in institutions” and criticised the publication of names or identifying information without protection of personal data as “institutionally unacceptable.”

At the same time, Pasyki highlighted systemic factors such as staffing, working conditions and available tools.

“The investigation of each incident must also take into account the role of the system and the employer,” the union added.