All citizens have an equal right to health, but in the Marche this is not the case. “Only those who have money get treatment and this leads to irremediable economic and social inequalities” denounces Adoc Marche upon reading Istat data according to which 9.7% of citizens in 2023 had to give up treatment deemed necessary, a figure higher than the national average of 7.6%, the third worst result in Italy after Sardinia and Lazio. In general, in Italy, we are talking about 4.5 million citizens. Among the most fragile segments are women (9%) and the over 64s (9.8%) with clear medium-term effects on society’s costs, thus reducing the effectiveness of prevention and consequently increasing the costs of therapies. Returning to the Marche, the research “Public health and health protection – Radiography of a denied right”, edited by Adoc and Eures, also records the national record for intramoenia with 12.8% of freelancers on the total services provided against an average nationally which stands at 7.7%. As many as 192 thousand visits in freelance activities (paid, therefore) out of 1.3 million diagnostic services provided. But if we go into the specifics of the individual medical branches, we also discover other records that are not at all flattering.
62% of gastroenterological visits are paid (first in Italy), more than one in three patients is forced into intramoenia for an electrocardiogram (36%, second region in Italy), one in four women for a gynecological visit. All this is closely related to healthcare mobility, i.e. the propensity of patients to seek treatment and treatment in another region. The Marche balance is negative by 28 million euros for hospital mobility and 13.9 million for specialist outpatient visits, estimates the report based on Agenas data. Lack of staff? Over the last 10 years, the workforce has remained almost unchanged both in terms of doctors (-0.1%) and nurses (+2%). “In the face of the overall “disengagement” of national public policies in the field of health and healthcare – they explain from Adoc Marche – social demand is instead growing strongly, both as a result of demographic transformations”.
A situation that has brought the union, especially Uil Marche, to the streets and institutional tables several times to give voice to the citizens’ obvious difficulties. “Those who govern the country at various levels can no longer ignore the fact that more and more people, especially vulnerable ones, are giving up treatment due to the difficulty in accessing public healthcare and the worsening of their economic conditions. An ever-increasing number of the population is forced to choose between their health and other basic needs, such as a healthy diet or paying bills. We need a cultural revolution to understand that healthcare is not just a cost, but a primary right that must be guaranteed to everyone, as required by our Constitution.” Adoc Marche, which in the next few days will make the entire report available on its regional website, joins the association’s national campaign with the aim of informing and raising awareness among citizens about their health rights and making this right payable. The campaign, whose testimonial is the actress Rosanna Banfi, wants to give a voice to those who suffer the inequalities and injustices of a healthcare system that does not work as it should.
