Press Releases

It is with pleasure that I am here today to welcome the Shriner’s Hospitals representatives, as well as the George and Thelma Paraskevaides Foundation representatives, in their annual visit to Cyprus.

For the last 35 years, since 1983, three thousand children from Cyprus have travelled to the United States of America and were successfully undergone through specialized treatments for complex orthopaedic conditions at the Shriner’s Hospitals. Every year a group of specialized doctors from these hospitals visit our country to examine and provide their expertise for over 350 cases. In addition to their visit to Cyprus, the medical experts of Shriner’s Hospitals have close cooperation with the doctors of Cyprus through teleconferences, thus providing their expertise for approximately 80 cases of children with orthopedic problems.

In this collaboration, the George and Thelma Paraskevaides Foundation has through the years played a significant role. The charity work of the Foundation has led to the development of this important cooperation for the benefit of the children of Cyprus, regardless of the the financial status. For all your assistance and support, we are deeply grateful.

Our cooperation is being sealed today through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus, the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children and the George and Thelma Paraskevaides Foundation.

This Memorandum lays new foundations and will provide a new perspective, by expanding our collaboration in the areas of education, training and research. The goal is to promote the exchange of medical knowledge in the areas of orthopedics and paediatric orthopedics, of plastic surgery burn care, of orthotics and prosthetics and of course of tele-health, but also explore additional areas of cooperation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to reassure you that the Ministry of Health will continue to support this jointly-beneficial partnership and explore new opportunities to collaborate. I would like to thank you, Mr Kirk and Mr Behe, as well as the team of experts from Shriner’s Hospitals for the excellent work that benefits the children of Cyprus. Lastly, I express my sincere gratitude to Mr Costas Paraskevaides. The role of your Foundation determines this cooperation and helps the improvement of the life of the patients in our country.

(MKY)