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Sara Bettoni
Access to the hotspots wanted by the Region to deal with the flu epidemic is growing. Thirty extra clinics, entry only by sending 116117. The peak of infections is expected around January 6th
Over 500 patients visited on Saturday, another 464 on Boxing Day. While the pressure in the emergency rooms increases and calls to emergency numbers increase, Access to the infectious disease hotspots wanted by the Region to deal with the flu epidemic is also growing. «An experiment was already carried out in 2024, this year we proposed it again – explains Simone Baratto, director of 116117, the number managed by Areu and dedicated to non-urgent health problems -. It is an enhancement of local care.” In concrete terms, these are 30 clinics – dedicated to patients with coughs, colds, fever and other flu-like symptoms – set up in community homes or in continuity of care locations (the former medical guard).
How do you get there? «They are not open access – specifies Baratto -. The first step is to call 116117: the call is “filtered” by a technician, then passed on to a doctor who can also organize a televisit and make dematerialized drug prescriptions.” In some situations, remote consultation is not enough. The doctor can then decide to book a visit for the citizen in one of the infectious disease hubs. «You go by appointmenttherefore there is not the crowd that one might find in the emergency rooms – continues Baratto -. This method is to be preferred if there are no emergencies or serious symptoms, also to avoid infecting other patients in the hospital waiting room.” The response is not immediate, but nevertheless assured. «We apologize for the wait, which can also be significant: there are a lot of calls». The increase in requests to the single number is linked both to the closure of family doctors’ surgeries for the Christmas holidays and to the spread of respiratory viruses. So far, the Lombardy hotspots have welcomed 4,768 people, 1,850 of them in Milan.
There are four locations in the city: at Villa Marelli, in the community homes of Bande Nere and Don Orione, in the clinic in via Don Bosco. The facilities belong to three different hospitals (Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Niguarda and Santi Paolo e Carlo), but the hotspots are part of a single primary care department, led by Claudio Montresor. «In Milan the service is guaranteed by family doctors who have given their availability – he says -, there are almost 300 who do the relay and work outside the opening hours of their clinic to provide assistance to citizens. In the other provinces, however, continuity of care doctors also collaborate.” The four locations were identified based on geographical distribution, proximity to metro stations and taking into account the patient flows recorded last year. The target set by the Region is four visits per hour to each clinica goal that is now being achieved.
Doctors can test the patient to see if the symptoms are due to the flu, Covid, respiratory syncytial virus or pneumococcus. If necessary, they can also do a quick ultrasound to evaluate any lung problems. “Patients are mainly frail, elderly or people who are unable to contact their family doctor,” explains Montresor.
Among the most active offices is that of Bande Nere. «The accesses follow the epidemiological curve – says Dario Laquintana, socio-health director of the San Paolo and San Carlo Asst -. We started with 10-15 patients in the first weekends, now we reach around forty.” The hotspots in Milan are open every day from 8pm to midnight, on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays also from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6.30pm. The number 116117, however, is active from Monday to Friday from 8pm to 8am and on holidays and the day before holidays 24 hours a day.
The pressure on hospitals and clinics could increase further in the coming weeks. «We see the peak of the flu approaching – says Laquintana -. We expect it from January 6th onwards. This year the vaccination campaign started two weeks early and the response was good, even if the objective of protecting 75% of the elderly remains difficult to achieve.”
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December 29, 2025
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