Cyprus faces a dearth of nurses at state hospitals, the health minister said on Thursday, proposing that one quick fix could be to hire people from non-EU countries. Speaking in parliament, Neofytos Charalambides revealed that state hospitals in total have a shortage of about 600 nursing staff. “Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system,” the minister told MPs. “The shortages are not just a number – it directly impacts patients’ safety as…