A reader sends us an appeal in defense of public health, which we gladly publish.
1) That article 32 of our beautiful Italian constitution be applied, where it says that the right to health is guaranteed to all citizens in equal measure.
2) That law 833/78 is applied, which established the Italian Health Service, where it establishes principles and objectives for the health of citizens, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, throughout the Italian territory, the Regions must implement operational mechanisms to implement the principles and objectives set by law 833.
3) With the money arriving from Europe for healthcare, plans must be planned, projects for the improvement and development of public healthcare, more efficient hospitals, healthcare homes, community homes, small community hospitals built in the area, which they must then be managed by staff employed by the NHS and should not be handed over to private individuals who are mainly looking to make economic profits. In these structures there needs to be sufficient and professionally trained staff, doctors, nurses and other staff, to make a good prevention and care for the most fragile and needy citizens, also strengthening home care, these services also serve as a filter, to avoid clogging up hospital admissions and emergency rooms, to reduce waiting lists for tests and specialist visits.
4) It is urgent to address the shortage of staff in hospital facilities and throughout Italy, around 50 thousand doctors are missing, around 100 thousand nurses and other staff are missing, we must immediately make a plan to strengthen the universities to prepare a sufficient number of Doctors and Nurses, let me tell you, should be paid the right amount based on their professionalism, many Nurses go abroad because their salary is more than double what they get here in Italy.
5) More and better investments must be made in our public healthcare, both for employees and for local hospital structures and for all the resources they serve, around 7% of GDP is spent, when in Germany around 11% is spent %.
6) In public health there must only be employees with public health contracts, there must be no cooperatives or agencies, let’s leave these to private individuals.
7) Contracts for the supply of materials, vehicles, hospital constructions, renovations and agreements must be transparent and without waste, the general managers of Territorial Social Health Agencies and Territorial Health Agencies must be hired through a European public competition with criteria of competence, preparation and responsibility.
8) Now dear citizens we must be united with healthcare workers, with responsibility to fight to defend public healthcare, the NHS which is still one of the best in the world, let’s push for it to be improved and for the right to health to be truly guaranteed to all citizens equally.
9) Finally, a special thank you to all the healthcare staff, for the wonderful service they carry out with science and conscience to satisfy the needs and care for the health of the sick.
Francesco Lena, Via Provinciale, 37 – 24060 Cenate Sopra (Bergamo)
International health systems