Cristian Ferraris he is director of Life Sciences of Assolombarda and DG of AIOP Lombardia and of the Sanità Futura Foundation. Member of the Board of Directors of FASI, he is an expert in private consumption in healthcare, business development and intermediate healthcare. With him we took stock of the new trends linked to national health services, with particular reference to the topic of internationalisation.
How do you judge, Ferraris, our healthcare system?
“Allow me, first of all, to emphasize its first peculiarity: Europe, as well as Italy, has implemented, throughout its history, universalistic and solidarity coverage systems, unique in their kind, even in comparison with global benchmarks. Their lowest common denominator has always been (and remains) equity: a circumstance that has positively influenced the health of citizens. The same applies to our country, which today has an NHS capable of ensuring care and health services for the entire population, without distinctions of any kind. What is certain is that we are living in an era of unprecedented change and we must all, public and private, work with renewed vigor to meet the new challenges dictated by the times”.
It is quite clear that healthcare services must be adapted today to the needs of a changing society. Yet, healthcare facilities, with particular reference to those in Lombardy, continue today to be the destination for an ever-increasing number of EU or non-EU citizens.
“Excellence, in addition to equity, is a characteristic of our system; I am thinking in particular of Lombardy, which is the area in which the public and private sectors, together, have created a one-of-a-kind path capable of guaranteeing high standards of care. A road which, as we well know, is today appreciated both nationally and internationally. What is highlighted today is a rapidly growing trend: many healthcare systems, including the Lombard one, offer their services to citizens who come from other countries, even beyond the European borders”.
Is coexistence possible with the universalistic approach to the population you were talking about before?
“Of course yes: this opening does not affect the “production capacity” at all: first of all, we are talking about highly complex performances and not “frequency” ones; it must be said, then, that the services offered to the so-called “solvents” are completely separate from the activities promoted to respond to the most common needs of citizens. We can say with certainty and conscience, therefore, that this trend does not reduce availability to our citizens but, rather, contributes to the economic sustainability of the healthcare systems themselves”.
Can you give me a concrete example of this positive impact you highlight?
“I am thinking, in particular, of the additional resources that can be reused in order to keep the level of excellence high and, therefore, of the investments re-introduced into the system to keep it at the forefront and capable of facing the challenges of the aging population , personalized medicine and technological and performance innovation, just to name a few”.
So, can internationalization contribute to the strengthening of our healthcare services?
“Yes and for these reasons, like Assolombarda, in harmony with the “Lombardy Life Sciences Cluster”, we have long been committed to trying to promote the healthcare model of the Region, which has always been based on a public-private alliance, to promote services and professionalism globally. Starting from 2015, the year of the Expo, through subsequent universal exhibitions, we have woven a capillary network also made up of non-EU health systems, from the Gulf countries to the Asian continent. We are working with the aim of implementing partnerships aimed at promoting exchange programs through our professionals and enhancing our high standards of excellence through targeted services”.
A concrete example?
“The healthlombardy.eu portal, an online showcase that brings together the centers of excellence and offers patients a complete service ranging from consultation with the facilities, to travel, to treatment. A project created by the Assolombarda Health Group, which has been engaged on the topic for several years with a dedicated table, made possible also thanks to the collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism”.
What do you expect from the institutions in an attempt to support this virtuous circle that fuels the excellence of the system?
“We must, without a doubt, commit ourselves to promoting the quality of our healthcare systems even further abroad by supporting the work carried out by Associations and Clusters, often done patchy, with institutional support promoted within the framework of diplomatic representations all over the world. abroad and the ICE offices. To adapt the national health system to the needs and demands posed by the times in which we live, we must avoid turning in on ourselves and instead open up to the world by adopting a win-win strategy aimed at giving a long and profitable life to our SSRs, and the benefit of health of our citizens”.
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