The Operations & Business Development Director of the Group in Cyprus, Anastasios Kalogiannis, emphasizes that BIOIATRIKI Healthcare Group supports and provides a vote of confidence in Cyprus’ efforts to develop the health sector.
In an interview with InBusinessNews, Mr. Kalogiannis indicates that the recent Group’s investment moves, such as the dedication of the first Polydynamo Medical Center and the affiliation of Pavlidis Medical Laboratories, serve holistically to achieve the three priorities of the dynamic development plan set by the Group since its first presence in Cyprus.
Anastasios Kalogiannis talks about the future investments of the Group, which emphasize the promotion of the citizens’ health.
Based on the fact that BIOIATRIKI Healthcare Group supports and provides a vote of confidence in Cyprus’ efforts to develop the health sector, Kalogiannis underlines that important steps have been taken by the state and its institutions, while there are prospects and potential for further improvement and significant development, capable of creating the sector of health one of the main pillars of the Cypriot economy, thus making Cyprus an international destination for medical services.
Recently, the Group dedicated the Polydynamo Medical Center and announced the affiliation of Pavlidis Medical Laboratories in the Group’s family. How did these steps happen?
Since 2017 when BIOIATRIKI Healthcare Group began its operation in Cyprus, implements a dynamic investment plan, with multiple actions based on three basic priorities:
- To provide health care services with Quality-Reliability-Innovation, which make the Group a reference standard on diagnostic level (clinical laboratories and imaging centers)
- To be an attraction pole for collaborations so it can provide the same quantitative and qualitative health services throughout Cyprus, without restrictions and discrimination.
- To contribute to the development of Health in Cyprus, both locally and internationally, by investing in new developing and innovative sectors of health services.
Both the recent grand opening of the first Polydynamo Medical Center of the Group, which is a VIP service and operation area and the affiliation of the Pavlidis Medical Laboratories, with a prominent position in the provision of health services in Paphos and Limassol, serve holistically to achieve these three priorities.
After these investment steps of the Group in Cyprus, are there any new ones for which we should wait?
With dedication to the threefold principle “Quality-Reliability-Innovation”, within the first quarter of 2023 we are installing the new, upgraded imaging information and processing system (PACS). It is an innovatively upgraded system with which doctors’ access to imaging information and immediate evaluation will be more accessible.
Furthermore, in February the new 128-slice CT scanner will be put into operation, with special software for individualized dose optimization for each patient, which is a functional element particularly important for everyone and especially for children and young people.
At the same time, we are planning the expansion of the institution of Polydynamo Medical Centers in other cities of Cyprus, and we are in consultations for the further expansion of our services throughout Cyprus through new collaborations with other Primary Health Care facilities.
We are also planning the expansion of our collaborations with the university community, and new actions to support and strengthen our human resources, while we are also intensifying our digital transformation actions.
The non-negotiable “belief”
What does this expansion mean for your patients/clients?
In BIOIATRIKI Healthcare Group our strong and non-negotiable “belief” is that we do not have patients and clients, but examinees. Examinees, whose health we must safeguard, fully respecting their efforts and their anxiety about the medical tests, with reliability and benefits offered by technology and our experienced personnel, and with continuous improvement of the quality of our medical services.
The latest strengthening of the Group, which we be completed within 2023, with the full integration, and upgrade of the Pavlidis Medical Laboratories and the branches they currently have, will lead to a time reduction of medical services, an increase in the number and improvement of their quality, and in a significant increase in the number of citizens who will have access to the Group’s quality services throughout Cyprus, reinforcing the principle that we are here for the health of all.
The prospects of the health sector
It comes to our attention that since you are proceeding with these investments, you assess that the prospects in the health sector in Cyprus are auspicious. Is that so?
We certainly support and provide a vote of confidence in Cyprus’ efforts to develop the Health sector. Important steps have been taken by the state and its institutions, while there are prospects and potential for further improvement and significant development, capable of creating the sector of health one of the main pillars of the Cypriot economy thus making Cyprus an international destination for medical services.
However, we are wary of policies that may undermine this development, such as, for example, possible delays in the integration of quality criteria into the services provided or policies that will impede the strengthening of quality with further investments in equipment, technical knowledge, and highly skilled human resources.
“We see no competitors…”
How about the competition in Cyprus regarding your scientific field?
BIOIATRIKI Healthcare Group sees no competitors, but friends, colleagues, partners, who together must claim and ensure the Health of the individual and the society as a whole.
A basic condition for this is the existence of rules, policies and controls on behalf of the state and its agencies, which will promote and reward excellence, quality, reliability and healthy competition, which is a shield of protection in every thought, effort and action that leads to waste of resources, application of anachronistic practices and attempt to influence the free will of the examinee.
Challenges of 2022
Considering that we are at the end of the year, what were the challenges your Group was tasked to face in 2022?
In every challenge we see a new opportunity and potential success. We could mention several, such as, for example, our successful absorption of the economic losses created by the pandemic, the maintenance and expansion of our medical services and of our human resources, the completion of our large, high-cost investments in the middle of the pandemic crisis, the dealing with the economic instability and uncertainty as a result of the war in Ukraine, which has led to a sharp increase in outlays on consumables and services.
At the same time, we have to deal with the issues created by the continuous expansion of the artificial – and in some cases directed – demand, which was and remains an significant challenge for us and the field of Health as a whole.
After all, the result of this, is the significant reduction, more than 50% for clinical laboratories and more than 35% for imaging centers, of the originally determined reimbursement of medical tests from the GeSY.
The interview was hosted in In Business News.
