Another substitute for the general practitioner. “More and more hardships in Olgiate”

There is no end to the turnover of general practitioners, another turnover. From Monday in the area established by the Municipalities of Olgiate Comasco and Lurate Caccivio, Dr. Hossameldin Mohamed Ali Abdelhamid will cease his activity as temporary doctor in charge of the patients of Dr. Fabio Bianchi, who retired at the end of June 2021. To ensure the continuity of medical assistance to patients previously under the care of Dr. Bianchi, the provisional assignment is conferred on Dr. Sally Lotfy Amin Saleh, wife of Dr. Abdelhamid.

«I am receiving reports from concerned citizens, which I in turn presented to Dr. Cristina Della Rosa, (director of the Primary Care Department of Ats Insubria) – declares the mayor Simone Moretti – It is a replacement unfortunately resulting from the death of Dr. Kinga Gittlar. Ats has looked for a solution, to some extent of continuity, which protects the patients that Dr. Abdelhamid followed in the Olgiate-Lurate area ».

“There is a shortage of family doctors and the solution cannot be to raise the number of patients”

The fact remains that after a year and a half Dr. Bianchi has not yet been replaced with a regular doctor, but by colleagues with temporary positions. Similar situation to fill the posts left vacant after the retirement, in three years, of five “historic” doctors: Gregorio Pecco, Fabio Bianchi, Mario Bernasconi, Luigi Pina and Giuseppe Borghi. Dr. Pecco, retired since June 2019, has never been replaced, but his patients are shared among other colleagues in service.

«Compared to the historic nine doctors in the field, we’ve dropped to seven – observes Moretti – There is a problem of lack of family doctors and the solution cannot be to raise the number of patients. We have lost a generation of historical doctors and they are struggling to get new doctors in stable form. The closed number in Medicine should be abolished and economic treatment improved. This exasperated turnover cannot continue. The frequent turnovers penalize the indispensable relationship of trust between doctor and patient. The doctor must go back to being a point of reference, he cannot change every 3-6 months ». The need for a municipal polyclinic to attract new “white coats” is linked to the family doctor emergency.

“The desirable creation of the municipal clinic will have to go hand in hand with the identification and appointment of family doctors”

«We are aware that it is necessary to identify one or more spaces where a municipal polyclinic can be created, or where doctors can guarantee a qualified presence and which follows the new regional indications on getting together to optimize the service. Some associated studios are difficult to reach, with spaces that are too small and with little privacy; it is urgent to create modern, welcoming, well-serviced places with administrative staff to manage the appointments of doctors and professionals in a single space – concludes Moretti – I don’t think, however, it is just a question of being attractive if there are no doctors. The hoped-for creation of the municipal polyclinic will have to go hand in hand with the identification and appointment of family doctors, certainly not within the municipal competence, of which there is an absolute and priority need given that there are still many of our fellow citizens without their own referring physician”.