Title: Italian Government Reduces Planned Hospital and Community House Projects, But Hope Remains for Future Funding
Date: July 31, 2023
Rome – In a significant revision to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Pnrr), the Meloni government announced a drastic reduction in the number of hospitals and community houses to be built by 2026. From initially planning to construct almost two thousand healthcare facilities, the government has decided to cut the number down to just over a thousand, raising concerns about meeting deadlines and the healthcare needs of the country.
According to reports from The Print, the revision plan led to a decrease from 1,350 to 936 community houses and from 400 to 304 community hospitals. These facilities were deemed essential in improving local-level care and coverage for citizens, particularly during the discharge phase from the national health system.
The decision to reduce the number of planned facilities stemmed from two main challenges faced by the government. Firstly, the rising costs of constructing hundreds of buildings across the country became unsustainable. Secondly, meeting the 2026 deadline seemed uncertain. As a result, the government has temporarily put 510 projects on hold.
However, the government has expressed its intention not to completely abandon these projects, but rather seek alternative sources of funding in order to build them at a later date, although specific details have not been provided. The government aims to respond to the needs of regions that require these essential health services.
One potential solution lies in the possibility of refinancing projects using the cohesion fund and unspent funds from the 1988 budget. While these funds have been caught in bureaucracy for almost forty years, the government now plans to release them in the near future, paving the way for the construction of necessary healthcare structures.
To ensure that the allocated healthcare funding from the Pnrr is not lost, the government will invest approximately 7 billion euros in the purchase of diagnostic equipment and machinery. However, this investment will not cover the salary costs of doctors and nurses, who are essential resources for a functional healthcare system.
Although the reduction in planned health facilities under the Pnrr has raised concerns about the ability to provide adequate and timely healthcare services, there are hopes for future funding and the utilization of unused resources. The government now faces the challenge of finding concrete solutions to address this critical issue and ensure the health and well-being of the Italian population.
NurseTimes editorial team