The Parliament Discusses Creating a National Ambulance Agency

The Cyprus Parliament Health Committee continues reviewing the bill on reforming the emergency medical services system. The document is planned to be put to a vote on March 26, 2026 — before the current assembly's term ends in April.

The head of the Ambulance Service, Riana Constantinou, acknowledged that the reform is at least two years overdue. According to her, due to the lack of clear regulatory frameworks, pre-hospital care has long operated without unified coordination.

Whereas in 2020 the service conducted about 5,000 patient transports, today that number has reached 45,000 — with the same staff levels. As a result, the emergency function is gradually being diluted, and crews are operating at the limits of their capacity.

The Ministry of Health proposes the creation of an independent National Ambulance Authority, which will centrally manage the system.

The bill provides for:

• the creation of a National Ambulance Agency;
• the launch of a single Central Call Coordination Center (currently non-existent);
• licensing and oversight of all service providers;
• regulation of non-emergency patient transport;
• transition of the service to an autonomous operational model by the end of 2026.

The reform is expected to clearly distinguish between emergency and scheduled calls and ensure a sufficient number of vehicles for truly critical cases.

During the discussion, lawmakers referred to the Greek experience — the EKAB system, which operates under a different organizational model. Participants noted that this requires additional development of management mechanisms.

Committee Chairman Efthymios Diplaros emphasized that the law aims to be adopted in the coming weeks, while its effectiveness and any necessary adjustments will need to be evaluated by the next parliament.