“In Catania and Sicily the costs of treatment increase”

April 19, 2024, 07:36

3 min read

CATANIA – Concetta Raia’s speech, member of the regional secretary of the Italian Pensioners’ Union CGIL, in view of the national demonstration next Sunday 20 April.

“The national demonstration called in Rome on April 20th by the CGIL, together with the UIL, will see “public health” among the topics covered. An increasingly troubled sector, to the detriment of citizens.
Healthcare, as it is public, must be the prerogative of all citizens and certainly not a privilege for a few.

In Italy it seems that this matter is not at the top of the government agenda. Currently only 6.2% of GDP is invested while in other European states governments invest from 9 to 11% of their GDP. By doing so, the critical issues worsen exponentially. One above all, the ancestral shortage of medical personnel.”

“Spending has increased”

“In Sicily and Catania the cost of treatment has increased by over 100 euros (Gimbe foundation data) and 7.2% of the population gives up treatment due to lack of money and unsustainable waiting times. And this is how many, in order to access specialist visits and diagnostic tests, prefer to do without them.

In June 2023, the Schifani government announced that it would reduce the waiting lists in our region and to this end presented the regional operational plan for the reduction of waiting lists. Almost a year later, however, the picture remains disheartening.

Sicilians’ right to care is not fully satisfied despite the huge resources, 48.5 million euros, distributed to private individuals and the public.
By booking an urgent medical visit at the CUP, the first available date will be the following semester.

Difficult situations also concern bookings for other types of visits and diagnostic tests. Even today in Sicily “cure” and “prevention” are words unknown to many, except for those who have a medium-high personal income”.

The demonstration

“Issues relating to public health are deeply felt by the over 60 population. And this is why many pensioners from our region will participate in the day of mobilization called in Rome on Saturday 20 April.

The Spi Cgil pensioners union is particularly interested, as it believes that the national government must concretely address the aging population by financing the law on “non-self-sufficiency”, strongly supported and desired by the union.

This law, no. 33 of 2023, must be financed and made effective, because it is a law that intervenes in favor of millions of vulnerable people and their families who find themselves facing, often alone, great hardship, suffering and risks of impoverishment concrete”.

Renunciation of treatment

“There are over 3 million people over 65 who give up treatment due to financial problems. This is unacceptable in a civilized country. The national government cannot continue to ignore this condition. Estimates tell us that the number of non-self-sufficient elderly people will double to almost 5 million people by 2030, when one in 12 Italians will no longer be able to take care of themselves.

If this is true for the country, it is even more true for Sicily, where the elderly population is increasing. It today represents 21.2% of the entire regional population. And the data will grow further in the coming decades.”

“Conditions are needed”

“Unfortunately, the regional government persists in not addressing the issue of the aging population with adequate health and social-health policies. Yet a far-sighted policy should think about building a social and territorial condition that does not discriminate against those in need or those of advanced age, starting from a good use of the Pnrr resources that we have today.

Unfortunately we are navigating by sight and the regional government appears quite inadequate to the challenge it is called upon to face. It would be interesting to know when community homes, community hospitals, territorial operations centers will open, and what type of home care will be intended for chronic patients.

Or even when the telemedicine system adapted to the need for care will be launched, when there will be real planning of the social and healthcare system in our region.
These and other reasons push the Union to promote initiatives to ensure that no one sleeps.”