Cyprus says Limassol Hadassah center lacks a hospital license

The Health Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus said the Hadassah Medical Center in Limassol, affiliated with Israel’s Hadassah Hospital, does not have a hospital license or a license to operate as a healthcare facility. Its license is limited to medical imaging services, while the ministry is examining complaints about the center.

Elizabeth Constantinou, deputy permanent secretary of the Health Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus, told Politis that the Hadassah Medical Center in the Limassol town of Agios Tychonas "does not have a hospital license or any other license to operate as a healthcare facility." Its license is limited to medical imaging services, she said, adding that the ministry had recently received new complaints about the center and was examining them.

The center, affiliated with Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, promotes services in neurosurgery, orthopedics and cardiology. It currently provides magnetic resonance imaging, X-rays, ultrasound, cardiac assessments, neurorehabilitation and physiotherapy, but has no operating rooms or inpatient beds. The newspaper noted that the limited license does not necessarily make other activities illegal; the central question is the nature of the services provided and the regulatory framework governing them.

A view of Agios Tychonas near Limassol

Israeli ministries were not informed in advance

The center began receiving patients in July and officially opened last week. Its executive director, Dr. George Zachariades, said it is financed by Cypriot investors and serves as a bridge for patients seeking a second medical opinion or treatment in Jerusalem. He denied that any surgical procedures were being performed there. Hadassah Hospital said it "did not invest a single shekel" in the center and that its role was limited to professional and advisory support.

In Israel, Calcalist reported that the health and finance ministries had not been informed about the project in advance and called for an examination of its implications for Hadassah’s finances and healthcare services in Israel. Starting November 21, all referrals from Cyprus to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem are scheduled to pass through the Limassol center.

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