Shortage of general practitioners in the area: a new “sting” has arrived. In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the members of the Fimmg (Italian Federation of general practitioners) strongly denounce the failure by the Ministry of Health to extend the decree law of 17 March 2020, which provided for the recognition in their educational path for doctors in training with relative credits of the activity with patients in the area, helping colleagues where needed with provisional or replacement assignments.
“A choice of the then Minister Speranza – explains Dr. Fernando Agrusti regional secretary Fimmg Fvg – which had made it possible to better face the pandemic situation thanks to the contribution of the doctors who have been attending the Specific Training Course in General Medicine in recent years. Now the choice not to extend the decree is motivated by the fact that the Covid-19 emergency is over, as per the notice sent on January 20 by the SC Centro Regionale Formazione, but in truth we are still facing great challenges: not only with the Covid-19, but also with the seasonal flu. And let’s not forget that in Friuli Venezia Giulia we are in a situation of widespread shortage of general practitioners in the area. Between abandonments and having reached the age limit, there is already a lack of a hundred general practitioners, while another 70 will retire between now and 2025. For this reason, it is clear that the help of doctors who attend the specific training course in general medicine is fundamental, but they must be recognized for the training credit for the activity they are called to carry out. But now unfortunately, without extension, this is no longer possible and the hours spent in the clinic are not counted in the training course “.
Hence the appeal of Fimmg FVG. “We strongly ask – added Agrusti – to the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia to enforce at least in our regional healthcare the right principle according to which carrying out general medicine activities during studies is recognized in the training plan of young doctors and not only in a future future but already now they can give fundamental help to the health system and to patients”.