In Lazio, bookings for vaccines have started for those born in 1962 and 1963, that is, for 58 and 59 year olds. Almost all those over 80 who booked received the first dose of vaccine and 80% also the second. In the 70-79year range we are over 70% of those booked who have already had the first dose. Vaccination centers welcome tens of thousands of citizens. The testing service works.
We are the region that has remained the most days of all in the yellow zone. We are satisfied, but we must not let our guard down, the virus is circulating. What is happening in Lazio, the results achieved are not the result of chance: these results are the result, first of all, of the seriousness, passion and collaboration within the regional health system, its operators and its excellence, with the support of the Civil Protection , the police, the Red Cross, entrepreneurs and the many public and private organizations that have made themselves available. This is the added value of a state that collaborates and generously spends itself on a common mission. In addition to this, however, it should be emphasized that Lazio’s success in the fight against Covid also stems from years of reorganization and investment policies. A healthy state is even more efficient.
We are no longer the black sheep of Italian healthcare. After 12 years, from July 2020, we left the commissioner, closing the health accounts with a positive balance of over 6 million. Not just financial recovery. When we arrived, Lazio was below the Lea minimum threshold, among the last regions in Italy. In recent years, the Lea’s have grown every year, up to 190 points: which means better care, more timeliness in interventions, more assistance networks.
This has been a work of serious and good governance that has now allowed us to close the season of squandering, of debts for hundreds of millions and start the season of investments. Today we have a positive budget, but above all we are hiring hundreds and hundreds of young doctors who previously fled to other regions, and who now find the right place in our health system.
And then digital, there is a lot of talk about it, but thanks to innovation policies today the fight against Covid is also more efficient thanks to what we have done in terms of investments in digital in past years. Like the new data center, which was born from an investment of over 25 million euros and which we inaugurated two years ago. One of the most advanced digital platforms in the country, which will have further development thanks to another investment of 14 million euros to connect the entire healthcare system with broadband and develop telemedicine and home care to the maximum. A few days ago we inaugurated the first telerehabilitation center, and new telemedicine projects are already funded and ready to go. But already today in our region the reports are downloaded from the mobile, you book a tampon or the vaccine, you pay online, you access the health file, where the Covid vaccination certificate is also available first in Italy. There is still a lot to do but the road is the right one.
What is happening with Covid in this very tough battle is the confirmation of what we already knew: we have a season of cuts behind us and also many sacrifices both for healthcare workers and for people, but the real thing to do is to invest. Investing in innovation and public health. It will have to be remembered when we have to spend the resources of Next Generation EU.
Investing in the large public health infrastructure means preparing to live a different and better future. Investing in digital and green will need to be more competitive, save and live better.
* President of the Lazio Region