Pierluigi Dallapina
From words to deeds. Or rather, from threats to sanctions. There are 14 health care employees in both the public and private sectors at risk of suspension, as they have not been able to justify why they have not yet been vaccinated or booked. Suspension or even transfer to another job not in contact with the public: these are the two possible options for them and the employer, or the Order to which they belong in the case of a freelancer, will decide.
A freelance psychologist plus a nurse and a midwife, both employees of the Ausl, are instead the first three health workers in Parma and the province who will be officially suspended from the profession – with consequent suspension of salary – for not having vaccinated, despite the invitations and reminders sent to them by the Usl Company, which has been assigned the task of monitoring and alerting all those health care employees who, although they can do so, have not yet immunized.
The control machine
In recent days, the Region has reported to the Ausl about 2,600 suspicious positions referring to workers in the health sector, but 55% (about 1,400 employees) managed to prove that they had been vaccinated (with one or two doses) or that they had booked the appointment for the first puncture.
Checks are underway on the other 1,200 workers in the sector under observation and it is not excluded that among these there are those who can avoid the penalties, provided for those who do not respond to the first appeal to vaccination and cannot even prove that they have a disease that prevents him from getting vaccinated.
Those 158 under the lens
Among the numerous positions to be investigated, the college of experts of the Ausl – composed of an occupational doctor, a coroner and a hygienist – is currently completing the investigation relating to 158 health workers. Among these there are 32 waivers, i.e. those who may not be vaccinated for health reasons (most of them are pregnant women and have recently given birth), 14 workers who have agreed to be vaccinated after the reminder of the Ausl, 21 positions have yet to be evaluated and 74 people are “under investigation”. To these must be added the three suspended health workers with a frozen salary until 31 December if they do not agree to be vaccinated, plus the other 14 who will receive the assessment document which may result in either the suspension or the change of job.
Compulsory vaccine
For healthcare professionals, the vaccine is mandatory. This was established by decree law 44, later converted into law (76) on May 28, whose provisions will remain valid until December 31. The rules are clear and apply not only to doctors and nurses, but also to pharmacists and parapharmacists.
“In order to protect public health and maintain adequate safety conditions in the provision of care and assistance services – reads the decree – the health professions and health professionals who carry out their activities in health, social and health structures social welfare, public and private, in pharmacies, parapharmacies and professional offices are obliged to undergo vaccination ».
Who enforces the law
When faced with an employee who does not get vaccinated, the employer will suspend his duties and his salary, until he is up to date with the vaccination obligations. In the event that the refusal is convinced, the suspension, for now, may last until the end of the year. The employer could also decide to assign the employee “no vax” to another job, even lower than the previous one, with relative salary cut, in order to reduce the risk of contagion. Provided that these “protected jobs” have not already been given to those who just can’t get vaccinated.
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