Summary of the Ordinary Assembly of Democratic Medicine – Florence 04.20.2024

Summary of the Ordinary Assembly of Democratic Medicine – Florence 04.20.2024

Present at the meeting (in Florence, online or with delegation): 35 members.

1. Final balance sheet and estimate

The final budget was illustrated, discussed and approved.

Overall, the ratio between income and expenditure determines an imbalance of almost 21,000 euros (70,642 euros of revenues 91,622 euros of costs). The imbalance appears mainly connected with an item not relevant to the 2023 financial year, i.e. 18,000 euros resulting from the balance of the fees for the “historic” legal expenses due to the lawyer. Laura Mara.

Main revenue:

• Ordinary membership fees 7,900 euros (in reduction, the issue of continuity of payment of fees by individuals and delays in the case of fees collected by individual sections remains)
• Donations external subscriptions; 18,575 euros increasing (this figure includes 6,500 euros from the current account of the Castellanza section which was closed, 3,000 euros are in any case charged among the costs as a contribution to the Maccacaro Health Center; the subscriptions collected in Piazza Duomo on 1.04.2023, approximately 2,000 euro) since September the “button” for small donations directly from the site via PayPal has been active;
• 5 x 1000: 8,909 eurosstationary (please remember that, with the transition to a third sector organisation, the delivery methods have changed)
• Milan Foundation Announcement (relating to the activity of the Health Observatory curated by Vittorio Agnoletto). 35,000 euros (this amount must be shared with the other two entities participating in the tender; Medicina Democratica has 1/3 of the amount left, i.e. approximately 12,000 euros).

Main costs

• Printing, layout and shipping of the magazine (two issues released in 2023): approximately 9,700 euros
• Press office approximately 9,800 euros (the press office is shared with the AIEA, 2/3 of the costs refer to Medicina Democratica)
• Costs for accountant and taxes 1,600 euros
• Expenses for participation in hearings and judicial documents 5,550 euros
• Legal expenses 22,000 euros (including 18,000 euros for arrears for the activities of the lawyer Laura Mara).
• Rentals (mainly via dei Carracci Milan) 5,350 euros
• Contributions to external entities 700 euros (book on spinal units in Lombardy)
• Refunds to members 790 euros
• Fees and general expenses 1,100 euros
• Costs for initiatives 6,900 euros (of which 4,500 for the initiative on April 1st in Piazza Duomo)
• Support for Radio Popolare broadcast, 1,300 euros
• Community tender in Milan 23,200 euros (part relating to the other two partners of the tender)

Notes on the 2023 initiatives (debate)

MD has increased its authority and its role as a point of reference for external entities, in particular on the topic of the right to health and the protection and relaunch of public health as well as on the topic of safety at work, also thanks to the action of the press office.

The association has been able to maintain a “collective brain” capacity by continuing to evaluate and develop objectives and initiatives, both its own and coordinated or together with other entities. We have maintained, and are recognised, our autonomy from the interests and orders of others.

In the initiatives in which MD participates (the Via Maestra, La Lombardia SiCura) we maintain our objectives, more radical than those expressed (the Via Maestra appears inadequate to the needs), but in such a way as to strengthen the overall movement to combat the further drift of rights and the national (and regional) health service as well as all public services.

Even the recent appeal by scientists in defense of public health appears ambiguous and aimed mainly at obtaining greater funding not aimed at public health objectives but generic ones, so much so that it is also signed by individuals operating with roles of responsibility in private healthcare.

With other local entities, a national network was promoted with reference to the European network against the commercialization of health which saw good articulation in the 2024 initiatives for the day of 7 April.

The association is called to keep the helm in the right direction even beyond direct initiatives, such as those of the health offices, mainly on waiting lists, which constitute the effect and not the cause of the difficulties of the NHS. Our role in these initiatives is to go beyond the resolution of providing individual services to individuals to the epidemiological approach of services and taking care of people.

The initiative, with other associations, of 1 April 2023 “healthy as fish” in Piazza Duomo in Milan is particularly significant.

During 2023, together with the CDSA, we intervened and gave voice to the opposition on the rules regarding non-self-sufficiency (most recently with the conference in Milan on 11.17.2023).

The magazine’s production methods still suffer from critical issues that slow down its regular release, the editorial committee meets regularly and is addressing the topic taking into account that almost all the work is voluntary. Two files are almost ready, one dedicated to “fragility”-non-self-sufficiency and one to safety at work and environmental times.

There was greater use of social media as well as the site for information and the press office fully operated by enhancing and supporting the initiatives and contents on occasions agreed with the management or in relation to needs. Similarly, the support of Radio Popolare’s 37e2 broadcast, even though it mainly has a Lombard value, has further strengthened and spread awareness of the association.

During 2023, Angelo Baracca passed away, a conference was promoted in his memory and the documents with the speeches are ready. During 2024 we will disseminate it together with Pressenza.

During 2024 we will have to face, economically, the consequences of the Cassation bis ruling for the Viareggio trial, Ferrovie dello Stato, following our ex post expulsion from the trial (after having participated in 150 hearings and produced technical reports) we requests the “restitution” of an amount equal to 110,000 euros. Negotiations are underway to obtain payment reductions/deferrals but this obligation will certainly weigh on the operation of the association for a considerable period of time. It will be necessary to evaluate whether to propose crowdfunding

Assembly decisions for the current year.

• Gradual but complete transition from the Banco Popolare bank account to that of Banca Etica and maintenance of the postal account
• Disposal (withdrawal from the rental contract) of the headquarters in via dei Carracci 2 Milan, as soon as the methods for transferring the historical archive and magazines (largely formally owned by Medicina Democratica Coop) have been defined – transfer of the registered office in via Rome 2, Castellanza
• Continuity in participation in the Via Maestra initiatives while maintaining full autonomy of action with reference to the national objectives of the 16-point manifesto developed by the National Health Network in 2023, in-depth analysis and further development of the initiatives from the individual points of the manifesto.
• Continue relationships and initiatives with other entities gathered in the national reference network with the European network against the commercialization of health with reference, and beyond, to the initiatives for the European day of 7 April.
• Continuity in local actions, according to the different articulations and relationships with other subjects, of the initiatives for the right to health and in defense of public health (e.g. La Lombardia SiCura) as well as for the initiatives to combat the rules on non-self-sufficiency together with the CDSA and those against differentiated autonomy (see demonstration in Naples on 05.25.2024)
• Resumption of the activity of the working groups (the one on health and safety at work is currently operational, the one on mental health needs to be resumed, the one on health/healthcare is mainly involved in the many initiatives).
• Reintroduction of a members mailing list upon completion and updating of the members database (used to convene the meeting) in addition to the existing mailing list for the board of directors and that of the newsletter connected to the website.
• Deepen and define a position on the Pandemic Treaty proposed by WHO and on the national Pandemic Plan currently being drafted (and criticized by various parties for the “reduction of sovereignty” in the case of the former and provisions for reducing the rights of dissent in the case of the second.
• Continuity in judicial actions (several trials underway, the main ones being Montefibre – Verbania, Eternit 2, Miteni, Materit, Marina Militare) Solvay 2 – Alessandria in the start-up phase. The topics mainly concern exposure to asbestos and environmental pollution.
• To overcome the critical issues of the magazine’s production, the editorial committee intends to act both in terms of layout times and the “rules” for authors (article formats and delivery times). The possibility of online publication of short and current texts should be re-evaluated. An issue dedicated to international (European) aspects of the right to health is planned.
• We intend to promote and participate in the initiatives planned for the G7 on Health (Ancona, 9-10-11 October) and G/ on disabilities (Assisi also in October)
• The Florence section intends to promote an initiative at the end of the year on the theme of workplace democracy with one of the authors of “Il Manifesto del Lavoro”.
• In case of availability of funding, evaluate support for research initiatives consistent with the objectives of the association as well as creating a national observatory on democracy in healthcare to counteract the corporatization of local health authorities/USLs as well as supporting a single national contract in healthcare and the action of GPs in the context of relationships dependent on the NHS.
• Deepen the themes of the proposals relating to work-related homicide and the “single prosecutor’s office” beyond the terminology, filling them with significant, actionable contents and implications for the way justice operates with regard, in particular, to accidents and occupational diseases. MD’s action to support and promote the self-organization of workers in the defense of their working conditions, from rights in the workplace to safety, remains fundamental.
• The generational passage of the themes expressed by the association with “historical” methods remains to be addressed with new tools, taking into account and trying to align ourselves with the different methods of action of the current youth world (learning from them a better use of social tools).

Edited by Marco Caldiroli (apologies for any errors or omissions)