Monday 11 August 2014

Normal service resumed

After the excitements of the end of last week, normal service is resumed. Ann appears to have suffered no lasting ill-effects from her accident on Thursday evening, although it has made us think very carefully about our health out here. We now keep copies of our medical cards in the car, as there can be no treatment in A & E without it. I think a €10 note will have to be clipped to the cards as well - no money, no treatment. I can just imagine looking for a cashpoint at night, when on the way to A &  E.

One of the sad things is that Cyprus did train some paramedics but, since the financial crisis, there has been no money to employ them. So calling an ambulance is the equivalent of calling a taxi, as ambulances are sent out with only a driver on board. For anyone injured and requiring specialist care at the scene, especially with neck or back injuries, the consequences don't bear thinking about.

In Paphos, there are private ambulances with trained paramedics but that would be absolutely no good for anyone injured in our area. I am not sure what the solution is, or even if there is a solution. Plans for a National Health Service here are being considered by the Government at the moment, at the behest of the Troika, but I cannot see there being the money required to set it up. The long-awaited income from gas is years (and I suspect years and years) away, and until then Cyprus will struggle to provide the services it needs and that are desperately needed.

In any event, after a weekend off, I am delving deep into the minefield of the chapter "Driving in Cyprus", and taking - I hope - a reasonable standpoint between dispelling some of the myths about driving here, and being realistic in my assessment of the actual situation. In this chapter I am indebted to Mike Moorby of RoADAR Cyprus for his help and advice (http://www.cyprusdriving.net).

Anyway enough blogging - time to get on with some work.

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