A story, like many others, of young Lucanians who go abroad, with personal sacrifice and families, to study and work and definitely with a happy ending.
Maria Rocchina Mecca, from Lagopesole, with a passion for solidarity to be dedicated to others, recently graduated from the University-Faculty of Surgical Medicine – Titu Maiorescu-of Bucharest. A degree that he tried in vain to earn by studying at an Italian university. After completing his studies at the classical high school in Potenza he sought access to Italian universities but despite various attempts in the admission tests it proved impossible. He attended the faculty of pharmacy for a year but his dream was to become a doctor to “help the other” and here he renounces that year of attendance for a degree in Pharmacy in exchange for years of sacrifices. And then the pope Donato turns to Palazzo Italia Bucharest and to the Lucani Association in the Balkans through members of the same Association. This is how the “support operation” for enrollment in Romania started. Rocchina follows the training course for access in the Romanian language with splendid results and thus attends the University of Bucharest. Today he is a doctor and from January the path of professional activity that the Romanian State remunerates (an example for the Italian State to follow) for practical specialization begins in Romania.
“It is easy to understand and appreciate her sacrifices and – underlines Giovanni Baldantoni Palazzo Italia-Associazione Lucani in the Balkans – those of the family, the family that for her in recent years has expanded to the Lucanian community present in the territory that all together they wanted to celebrate with pride in these days Dr. Lucana Maria Rocchina Mecca. Minister Speranza should reflect on the “human resources that Italy loses” and do his utmost for a radical change in the access practices of the “children of Italy to medical universities”. Of course, the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine at Unibas in Potenza is a small step forward that we hope will give answers to the many girls and boys like Rocchina. But on its own it is not enough also because it is open to a few dozen registrations. We are sure that Dr. Mecca will follow in the footsteps of Dr. Vincenza Del Vecchio, 25, originally from Lagonegro, during the most acute phase of pandemic emergency, in the front row, at the triage tent, located at the entrance to the courtyard of the Arad city hospital, here in Romania. Her involvement also impressed the Romanian Minister of Health, Nelu Tataru, who indicated her as an example for all her Romanian colleagues. We are convinced – concludes Baldantoni – that our human and professional resources, those of our young people, have something special and more motivational to assert themselves abroad ”.