The roots of the problem are in the past, the horizon of the solution is (at least) in the medium term. In between, there is a present that weaves together the first solutions and known difficulties.
Bergamo remains one of the areas of Italy with the greatest load of “assisted” (i.e. patients) for general practitioners, but within a year the shortage of white coats has eased with encouraging numbers: as of 1 January In 2022 there were in fact 20,008 people from Bergamo without a general practitioner, while as of 10 January 2023 this audience had dropped to 15,880 people. In 4,128 they have thus found a doctor, the “orphan patients” (the definition of those who do not have a general practitioner) have been reduced by 20%. Compared to the total number of “assisted” people in the Bergamo area (which are 918,236: in fact, the children who are in the care of paediatricians of free choice and the subjects in charge of the social-health network structures must be removed from the calculation of the resident population), therefore, on 1, 7% do not have a general practitioner but are assisted through the “widespread outpatient clinics” project.