The national day in memory of the victims of the coronavirus epidemic, established on 17 March 2021, is celebrated on 18 March each year. On the occasion of the third national day, Minister Schillaci took part in the inauguration ceremony of the Bosco della Memoria dedicated to Bergamo to the victims of Covid together with the Mayor, Giorgio Gori, and the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto.
“Here, where just three years ago army trucks took away lost loved ones without even the possibility for their loved ones to say a last goodbye, today we remember the victims of Covid with emotion and respect” said Minister Schillaci addressing a thought to the community of Bergamo which “all of Italy gathers on this third national day in memory of the victims of the coronavirus epidemic. Italy was the first in the West to be hit by an unknown virus, paying a very high price in terms of human lives. We have lost family, friends, acquaintances. But also many health and social health professionals who fought against the virus to the point of exhaustion, to the point of sacrificing their lives. They have been celebrated as Covid heroes and continue to be so, with discretion, every day, in all the areas in which they take care of us”.
The minister recalled how the pandemic, in its tragedy, has restored the centrality of health protection “we are committed to healing the wounds inflicted by the Coronavirus to make the National Health Service more resilient and overcome still existing inequalities. Covid has taught that to strengthen the National Health Service, priority must be invested in personnel, enhancing them both in terms of economic and professional treatment, making public health more attractive, and in territorial health“.
Looking with cautious optimism at the end of the pandemic, the Minister underlined how we must prepare to face possible future emergencies “leaving nothing out in terms of adjusting plans and allocating and managing resources. In January 2021, the pandemic plan was updated and the planned exercises were carried out; we have also joined the European joint procurement on pandemic influenza vaccines and are collaborating with the new European Emergency Agency (Hera) on the development of stocks of products necessary to deal with any emergency. Towards the end of the year, we will update the influenza pandemic plan by extending the indications to other respiratory pathogens”.
“The memory of those who are no longer here because of the virus” he concluded “is a constant encouragement to be better so that their sacrifice was not in vain”.