Cyprus - Healthcare Healthcare in Cyprus is inexpensive and constantly improving on this ambitious island. State hospitals are practically free, while private health insurance, for those who prefer it, can be obtained at a very low cost. The medical needs of the Cyprus population are met through three systems of health services; the government health sector, the private health sector, and a number of schemes covering specific sections of the population. Cyprus Government Provision Healthcare is provided free through the Cyprus government facilities to those who are eligible. The groups formally covered by this scheme are: Government employees Individuals earning less than CYP�6,000 Households earning less than CYP�10,000 per annum and households with more than three children. Individuals with an income between CYP�6,000 and CYP�9,000 and households with an income between CYP�10,000 and CYP�14,000 have health care provided at 50% of the prescribed rates. The range of services offered through the government health scheme is comprehensive and includes visits to general physicians, specialist consultations, inpatient stays, medical care given abroad in specialities not offered in Cyprus and all drugs prescribed. Furthermore, medical care free of charge is provided in all cases receiving treatment at the accident and emergency departments irrespective of the economic situation or the nationality of the person involved, including visitors. However, if these cases need hospitalisation, subsequent care fees have to be paid. The hospital system has undergone substantial change over the last decade. New hospitals in Larnaca, Paphos and Limassol have been built and the building of the new Nicosia General Hospital has already started. A new hospital for Famagusta has also been planned. Government provision of health care is funded out of general taxation. Private Health Sector Private healthcare is in Cyprus open to all those who can afford to pay for their treatment. Private medicine is dominated by a large number of physicians in individual practice. A number of polyclinics have also been established in urban areas with a number of physicians offering a range of medical services. Special Schemes A number of special schemes cover specific sections of the population.  These include: Medical Services provided by the Trade Unions to the employed persons and their dependants. These services provide mostly primary health care. The above schemes use both the government and private sector whenever secondary or tertiary care services are needed, through a partial reimbursement of medical expenses. A number of employer-sponsored arrangements, all of which provide free medical care mainly through public health facilities. Healthcare Developments in Cyprus Current developments in health care technology, the ageing of the population, the increasing number of hospital beds, physicians, new laboratories and rising consumer expectations for more sophisticated and expensive medical treatment, are the characteristics of most of the health care systems in developed countries. The demand for health care in Cyprus is increasing. The number of elderly people is low but growing and creates new service demands. Technological changes, both in terms of equipment and pharmaceuticals, have been rapid and much of this is integrated and disseminated rapidly due to commercial incentives. Some new therapies, for instance new drug treatments after the onset of heart attacks, offer significant health gains at modest cost. The problems of managing these new services in diagnosis, treatment and prevention are great. The standard of health of the Cypriot population compares favourably with that of the population of developed countries. Cyprus has been successfully freed of common infections and parasitic diseases and the pattern of morbidity resembles that of developed industrial nations with cardiovascular diseases, malignancies and car accidents predominating as the causes of death. It should be pointed out that Cyprus has successfully eliminated malaria in the past and more recently echinococciasis, through the implementation of special campaigns. Current educational and preventive programmes are proving successful in almost eliminating the incidence of thalassaemia, which was a severe health problem. Alongside the curative services offered by the public and private sectors, the public services - in co-operation with other Ministries and the Municipal Authorities - are concerned with the provision of preventative health services in the form of health education, inoculations, control of epidemics and infectious diseases, the disposal of sewage, the control of the quality of drinking water, food etc. While the private sector is mainly concentrated in the urban areas, the public health services provide adequate coverage for the rural areas, ensuring accessibility through a network of rural hospitals, rural health centres, sub-centres and dispensaries. These services are staffed with doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, health inspectors and health visitors who ensure the provision of comprehensive services. It is well known that health standards depend not only on the availability of health resources, such as hospitals, doctors and nurses, but also on general environmental conditions. Cyprus has been fortunate to have a mild temperate climate while the absence of heavy industry has meant that air pollution has been limited. In addition to this the standard of education and early attempts at provision of piped water, sewage disposal and good sanitation ensure the right hygienic environment. Indeed the standard of health of the Cypriot population can be considered quite high. Already expectancy of life at birth has reached 80.4 years for women and 75.3 years for men. Infant mortality rates have been successfully contained to 4.9 per thousand of population. The crude death rate stands at 6.9 per thousand of population.