The Ministry of Health is deploying financial incentives for students, scholarships through private hospitals and facilities for conscripts, in an effort to address the shortage of nursing staff, an issue that has been highlighted many times recently by employer organisations, and mainly Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB) of which the Pancyprian Association of Private Hospitals (PASIN), among others, is a member.
At the same time, the Ministry of Health is considering extending sponsorships to Cypriots studying abroad, in order to further increase the interest of young people in pursuing the nursing profession.
The main measure is the establishment of an annual sponsorship of up to €2,000, while those who benefit will be required to work in the sector for at least two years after graduation.
The Minister of Health, Neophytos Charalambides, lists in detail all the measures and actions promoted by the Government, in his response to Parliament, following a question from Larnaca MP Andreas Apostolou, regarding the support of Nursing students, their internships and the incentives to attract young people to the sector.
Sponsorships from €1,000 to €2,000 per year
According to what Charalambides has said, the Council of Ministers on 30 July, 2026 approved the establishment of an Annual Sponsorship Program for undergraduate Nursing and Midwifery students, with the Ministry linking the measure to increased staffing needs, but also to the work that students provide during their internship.
The financial aid will increase depending on the year of study:
- €1,000 for the first year
- €1,250 for the second
- €1,500 for the third
- €2,000 for the fourth year.
The grant will be paid after the completion of the corresponding year of studies, while based on the provisions of the Program, graduates, after completing their studies, will be required to work in the sector for at least two years.
The program is also confirmed in an official announcement by the Ministry of Health, where the lack of nursing staff is characterized as one of the most pressing issues in the health sector.
No income criteria - International students also being considered
Of particular importance is the fact that, at this stage, sponsorship is not linked to income or asset criteria.
Beneficiaries will be full-time undergraduate students who are permanently resident in the Republic of Cyprus and are enrolled in recognised Nursing programs in Cyprus.
The Ministry of Health, however, does not rule out expanding the measure. As revealed in the Minister's response to Parliament, an expansion of the Program is being considered to also cover Cypriot students studying Nursing or Midwifery at recognized universities abroad.
From 98 to 182 first-year students
The Ministry of Health, however, estimates that the efforts to attract young people to date have already begun to bear fruit.
After stating that for the third consecutive year, a communication campaign is being carried out for studies in Nursing and Midwifery, in collaboration with the Press and Information Office, the Minister of Health emphasises "these actions have proven effective, since, according to available data, the number of first-year undergraduate students nationwide increased from 98 in the academic year 2023-2024 to 182 in the academic year 2024-2025, while it rose to 175 in the academic year 2025-2026.
According to the results of the 2026 Pancyprian Examinations, he adds, 150 candidates have secured a place in the Department of Nursing of the Cyprus University of Technology for the academic year 2026-2027 and it is expected that by the end of September a significant number of new students will also enroll in the private universities of Cyprus that have Departments or Schools of Nursing.
Facilities for conscripts
At the same time, Charalambides continues, the Ministry of Health maintains good cooperation with the Ministry of Education and in particular with the Counseling and Vocational Education Service, with the aim of raising awareness among Vocational Education Teachers regarding the shortage of nurses in Cyprus and appropriately informing Secondary Education students about the prospects of nursing staff.
Also, in the same context, he further states, the Ministry of Defence has adopted regulations that allow for the postponement of military service for males who choose to pursue nursing studies, based on the relevant legislation.
Scholarships from private hospitals
In addition to the above, the Minister of Health informs Parliament that the Ministry is studying the development of a framework for granting scholarships from private hospitals to students of Nursing programs at private universities in the Republic of Cyprus.
This framework, he explains, aims - among other things - to meet the staffing needs of private hospitals with nursing personnel, to strengthen the education and training of new nurses, to address the shortage of nursing personnel in Cyprus, to develop cooperation between private hospitals and academic institutions, as well as to provide incentives for the employment and stay of nursing personnel in the Republic of Cyprus.
The focus is on the lack of personnel
It is noted that in addition to domestic measures, Cyprus participates through the Directorate of Nursing Services in the European World Health Organization's co-funded project 'Nursing Action,' along with 21 other EU member states.
The project, according to Charalambides, aims to develop policies to attract and, above all, retain nurses in health systems, as well as to support and strengthen the profession at a European level.
With staff shortages still a key challenge, the Ministry of Health is now attempting to intervene from the stage of study selection to the integration of graduates into the labor market, combining financial incentives, facilitations and an obligation to remain in the sector.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
