“Saving the public hospital health system in the Valley: now or never”.
This was written in a note by the trade unions of the medical, health and veterinary management of the Aosta Valley public hospital Anaao Assomed, Aaroi-Emac, Anpo, Top, Fassid, Fesmed, Fvm.
“Now more than ever, it is a priority” add the trade unions, which hope “that the regional government decides to invest more in human resources to ensure the health of citizens, otherwise the system will surely not hold up”.
“The criticalities of the regional health service, already evident and consistent before the pandemic, have worsened further with the Covid emergency – continues the note -. The nefarious plans to reorganize the hospital and the territory endorsed by the previous regional governments, instead of optimizing resources in relation to actual needs, have unfortunately led to the closure and conversion of hospital wards with significant decrease in the number of beds, unsustainable worsening of working conditions and progressive economic cuts. The result obtained is there for all to see: an increasingly hospital-centric health system, unstructured and with a reduced capacity to provide adequate quality / quantity services to the detriment of the population and the professionalism of health workers “.
A “warning” for politics, whose choices have led to the current situation: “the escape of doctors, the missed turnover relating to the numerous retirements, due to competitions very often gone deserted or almost, one disproportionate increase in waiting lists it’s a progressive costly recourse to both the private sector than to cooperatives to provide diagnosis and treatment, without however guaranteeing adequate continuity of care “.
“And everyone knows – it continues – that if new health professionals do not arrive soon, with the continuing flight of doctors and even nurses from Parini, any effort to reduce waiting lists and guarantee all LEAs will be useless. The neighboring France and Switzerland (also ‘hungry’ for experienced doctors) and the neighboring Italian regions they are doing everything to be more attractive in terms of careers, of working and salary conditions”.
A knot on the table for some time: “Without significant professional and economic incentives for hospital doctors, health managers and veterinarians, even the competitions called for new hires by the ‘finally’ concerned Local Health Authority, and future investments through the Pnrr to modernize structures and regional technologies they will not have any repercussions in terms of timely and quality care for the Aosta Valley population and for tourists, leaving our only hospital, perhaps even brand new and cutting-edge, emptied of qualified operators and certainly unable to guarantee all acute care and assistance “.
The result? “Still more space and more public money for cooperatives and for the private sector. If anyone wants this, say it clearly ”.
The trade unions have been at work for some months together with the Councilor for Health Barmasse, “also thanks to a discussion table currently underway, to find adequate and rapid solutions with the common aim of saving what can be saved and, perhaps, in the coming months, reverse the default process underway ”.
Unions for which, however, one is needed step more decisive: “The Regional Council will meet to define and approve the Budget Law for next year. Facts are needed now more than ever and the trade unions, together with the doctors, the managers they represent and above all together with the citizens, are waiting for the Regional Government to do for the year 2022 and for the following years substantial investments and concrete maneuvers in the sign of the much-cited ‘Aosta Valley attractiveness’ which, in words, has become the slogan of the vast majority of regional councilors ”.
Or rather: “We hope that words are followed by deeds – closes the note -: if this is not the case, someone will have to take responsibility for not having considered the health of citizens and the role of those who guarantee it as an absolute priority ”.