Dfter almost 10 years the Foggia Local Health Authority renews its commissions for the verification of civil minorities. A substantial investigation by the Nirs (Regional Inspection Unit), coordinated at the time by the lawyer, was needed Antonio La Scalato highlight the “scandal which could have criminal implications”.
In recent days, the company’s general manager, Antonio Nigri, signed the resolution with the new members for the offices of Foggia, San Severo, San Marco in Lamis, Cerignola, Manfredonia, Lucera, Troia/Accadia and Vico del Gargano. In the body of the document reference was made to the “numerous requests for revision of the ranking of third members” and to the need for an agreement with two forensic doctors for the vacant seats of Troia/Accadia and Vico (then go to Mascolo and D’Orsi).
The events under the lens of the Prosecutor’s Office
In various circumstances, the paradoxical aspects in the functioning of the commissions have been highlighted. Various irregularities were found due to the presence of presidents and secretaries in multiple commissions. The Nirs (Health Inspection Unit) had also reported on the multiple assignments. In particular, the presidents – in turn – would have been part of three commissions, with sessions they involved up to 45 patients. But they would end up under the microscope the “flash visits”, lasting an average of 41 seconds, in maxi meetings with almost 140 patients in 3-hour sessions. The issue has been known for some time, given that the appointments for the working groups expired in 2020: since then there have been extensions pending the renewal procedure, which started in 2021 and was canceled last year, by virtue of the publication of the new internal notice (resolution number 883 of 15 September 2023).
The new accusations
“Even the last notice issued in September it could be irregular”, we are told by some sources. “The resolution of the general director of 19 September 2023, in addition to containing the notice for the internal selection of the members of the commissions, also contains the regulation for the evaluation of qualifications. The fact is that in the formation of the rankings the rules established by the regional law do not appear to be respected”.
“Furthermore – it is explained -, despite the media attention raised on the issue by some regional councilors on the Civil Disabled Commissions of the Foggia Local Health Authority, which resulted in the self-protection revocation of the previous notice, the situation is always the same. Meanwhile, on 9 January 2024, following a new internal call, the new ranking for the renewal of the Commissions was published, once again completely incongruous as it absolutely does not meet the requirements of the call and obviously already the subject of further and reasoned appeals by the participants in the internal notice and therefore not currently applied. Result? The disabled commissions of the ASL FG have been in office since 9 years, since 2016, despite the national and regional legislation (DGR n. 1387 of August 2018) providing for its renewal every 3 years, with relative territorial rotation for the obvious reasons of citizen protection. Despite the retirements that have occurred in recent years, by virtue of which the president, secretaries and social workers work to override multiple commissions, doubling and in some cases tripling the compensation for which the income from the commissions far exceeds the salaries relating to the qualification, especially with regard to commission presidents, as specialists in Forensic Medicine. On the other hand, 2 commissions do not have a 3rd member, due to retirements, and for this figure it is not clear why the practice of overriding is not foreseen, also risking jeopardizing the carrying out of the commissions due to the lack of a quorum.
It comes to mind that educating and publishing rankings in contrast with the provisions of the regulation relating to the requirements set out in the notice may be useful to those who intend to carry out the procedure in the long run, focusing on the inevitable appeals of the participants. In essence, the strong suspicion arises that this modus operandi was intended precisely to favor the status quo to fully protect the interests of the usual ‘unknowns’ to the full detriment of the citizens.
Without underestimating the fact that some doctors, in addition to being managerial figures, are even present in 7 out of 8 commissions. How is it possible that such representatives could have been present every day in the commissions and in the workplace? The wages are equally eloquent: some professionals receive 125 thousand euros per year in salary and 103 thousand euros per year for teaching, commissions etc. for a total of 225 thousand euros per year. And again, until now some were simultaneously responsible for the procedure of decisions with which the ASL liquidated the commissions of which they themselves were part. Convenient like this. Is all this normal? Furthermore, it appears that Anmic representatives are being used within committees to reach a quorum. Not exactly a correct procedure, especially if one of the three members of the commission is missing. Just look at the days in which one of the three members is absent whether the commissions have taken place or not. And then there would be the case of the commissions for civilian invalids of San Severo and Torremaggiore, which seem to be established on the same day, with half the commission in San Severo and the other half in Torremaggiore. How is it possible to evaluate patients and pathologies in a couple of minutes and what’s more with half the commission? If the topic under consideration were not serious and dramatic, would it be laughable, not to mention the havoc of the rules and regulations that the commissions implement every day? Furthermore, it seems inexplicable why such anomalies are tolerated or even favored by the leaders of the ASL and the Region. Must this situation continue for much longer in the deafening silence of the institutions and the judiciary? The community hopes not.”
The new commissions
This is how the game ended with the last resolution. In Foggia: Emanuela Folcando (president); Barbara Carella (second component); Antonio Guagliano (third component); Raffaella Gualano (social worker) e Antonella Grieco (secretary). In San Severo: Giuseppe Russi (president); Vincenzo Marotta (sec. component); Giuseppina Moffa (third component); Anna Gabriella Terlizzi (social insurance) e Marisa D’Aloia (secretary). In San Marco: Angela D’Arienzo (president); Vincenzo Tiscia (sec. component); Sipontina Renzullo (third component); Pierina Del Conte (social worker) e Giuseppe Longo (secretary). In Cerignola: Carmela Fiore (president); Sorrowful Arsa (sec. Component); Luciano Gallucci (third component); Maria Antonietta Favilla (social insurance) e Francesco Reddavide (secretary). In Manfredonia: Maria Silvestre (president); Grazia Maria Prezioso (sec. component); Costantino Zuccaro (third component); Rosa Ceddia (social insurance) e Maria Giuseppa Iannoli (secretary). In Lucera: Potito Auciello (president); Maria Pia Sernia (sec. component); Maria Rosa Pellegrino (third component): Maria Pina Angeloro (social insurance) e Antonio Vasciaveo (secretary). For Troy/Akkadia: Giulio Mascolo (president): Rocco Di Foggia (sec. Component); Francesco Miglio (third component); Maria Pia Saccone (social insurance) e Giovanni Grieco (secretary). In Vico del Gargano: Umberto D’Orsi (president); Gerardo Tarantino (second component); Emilio Balsamo (third component); Annarita Simone (social insurance) e Matteo Lupo (secretary). Finally, the “blind and deaf” commission of Foggia: Raffaella Bisceglia (president); Donato Salvatore Palumbo (sec. component); Matteo Guerra (ophthalmologist) e Sorrowful Grittani (secretary).
