CYPRUS HAS SECOND LOWEST NUMBER OF PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL BEDS IN EU

 Cyprus Mail 9 October 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

Just like in 2017, Cyprus had the second lowest number of psychiatric hospital beds among EU member states in 2018.  The numbers, which were never high, have been dwindling for years.

Eurostat, reporting on the occasion of Saturday’s World Mental Health Day, said Cyprus had 26.2 beds per 100,000 in 2008, but by 2017 the number was down to 21.2 and a year later to 17.8.  These numbers are far below the EU average.

In 2018, there were 73 hospital beds for psychiatric care per 100,000 inhabitants in the European Union. This corresponds to 14 per cent of all hospital beds.

In 2004, the first year for which data are available at EU level, the number stood at 79. Since then the rate has decreased continuously.

Among the EU countries, Belgium registered the highest rate in 2018, with 135 psychiatric hospital beds per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Germany (128; data for 2017) and Latvia (122).

Only Italy with nine beds has less beds per inhabitants than Cyprus.

The Athalassa hospital built in 1964 is the only state psychiatric hospital on the island. MPs, political parties, hospital staff and patients’ relatives have been lamenting for years the sorry state of the building, calling for a new one.

The building was declared unfit for human habitation by the town planning department last year.

The government has said it has plans to open new psychiatric hospital.