Serious, austere, even gray, for decades the Times is a symbol of authority, but with his latest piece on Calabria he almost risked the diplomatic incident. And he quickly had to run for cover. Reason? The title that a few days ago stood out in plain sight on the site: “The Mafia’s hub hires Cuban doctors while Italian doctors avoid the region”. Thus the well-known British newspaper titled the piece of its correspondent in Italy, which gave an account of the agreement – disputed by many – signed by the Calabria Region which will allow it to hire 497 Cuban doctors destined to cover the personnel craters in the hospitals, which have remained so in spite of competitions banned and often gone deserted.
Online the title did not last more than a handful of hours, but that was enough to make the Calabrian governor angry. “I am ready to denounce the British newspaper,” he said via Facebook, Twitter and press notes. Also on social media there was a rain of reactions and negative comments from users who did not go down with the fact that Calabria was branded as the hub of the mafia. Too many, even for a giant like the Times, which quickly softened the headline. “The Cuban doctors – we read after the correction – replace the Italian doctors who avoid the Calabrian hospitals dominated by the mafia”. Even the author of the piece took a public step back, responding to the many criticisms on Twitter: “I agree, you are absolutely right”.
Not a line of the piece, however, has been changed. And it is a real and unfiltered analysis of all the shortcomings of Calabrian healthcare, besieged by debts, for over a decade under commissioner and entrusted to technicians appointed by the ministry. As a result, the red continued to grow, while entire hospitals were closed, services fell, wards were emptied due to the blocking of turnover, the ASPs were commissioned for the mafia, the clans took over entire departments and health emigration grew every year. after year.
Since last autumn, the sector – always under special surveillance – has returned to politics, the governor Roberto Occhiuto is the new health commissioner. And with politics at the gates, it is a hot topic of the election campaign. Even at the price of an international dispute with the Times.