Rumours and unfounded allegations ...

We woke up this morning to find someone asking, via Facebook, for all residents in this area to protest at Polis Hospital on Tuesday morning. Apparently the hospital is to be closed down, or at least the two wards there for patients, and "doctors will be reallocated". There was a similar scare a couple of years ago, which turned out to be a storm in the proverbial teacup. Other contributors then outlined the scenario that we would all have to go down to the "awful" Paphos General and wait for five hours to see a doctor, for repeat prescriptions. That was the green light for the rumour mill to go into overdrive.

I posted, asking what the source of this "information" was, but - to date - no reply to this question was forthcoming. Whether the rumour mill is accelerated in hot weather, where people spend more time indoors or out of the sun, is debatable. But it can be ever so slightly destabilising. Panic sets in and over-reaction is everywhere.

It is a similar story when discussion talks about the UK leaving the EU. Whether you are a glass half-full or a glass half-empty sort of person, the comments that fly around on the Internet are risible and depressing. Nobody knows what the result of the negotiations will be, and until they do, there is no point in worrying. Expats around Europe will no doubt be concerned about their right to live in the country of their choice but they can only wait and see. We are coming to the end of our fourth year here, and the UK will undoubtedly not leave the EU until the end of 2018 at the earliest. If push comes to shove, which I doubt (given the number of Cypriots who live in the UK), then we would apply for Cypriot citizenship. 

The only concern on the horizon would be access to healthcare but I suspect that common sense would enable a reciprocal arrangement would be put in place, much like the one between the UK and Cyprus before Cyprus joined the EU. Other than that the only thing to remember is that it is always approaching six o'clock somewhere in the world, and a cold drink always calms the fevered forehead.