FESTINANT: Jonica healthcare must start again from facilities like the
Citadel.
Citizens’ health is compromised by inadequate regional political management and broken promises.
“Health in the Ionian area must start again from medical facilities such as the Cittadella della Carità and President Emiliano, now also as health councilor he has the burden of changing things”. Mimmo Festinante, Councilor of the Municipality of Taranto of the centre-right political group Svolta Liberale, supports this in a note, expressing closeness to the 160 workers in the sit-in to protest against the closure of the facility.
“The Citadel of Charity is a prestigious local medical facility and a real service for the Ionian population – continues Festinante -;
this structure has been managed in a clumsy way, but we have the duty to get it back up to speed and to put the machinery back into operation, to restore health and dignity to an abandoned territory, demanding healthcare, worthy of human beings.”
According to the Councilor “to date the salaries of the workers for the month of April have not been paid, which constitutes a fundamental criterion for the Court to accept the agreement presented at the hearing of last May 7th to avoid bankruptcy and thus guarantee business continuity.”
A situation, the health one, according to Festinante which is unacceptable also in light of the lack of responses from the SS Annunziata hospital which is unable to handle the citizens’ request. For the Councilor, the Ionian healthcare situation has reached a critical point and “Emiliano’s many declarations, which describe an idyllic world, clash dramatically with the daily reality that the citizens of our city are forced to face.”
For Festinante “despite the promises and announcements, the reality is that there is a lack of medical and healthcare personnel necessary to guarantee adequate care.”
Finally, the political attack: “As a political force we have consistently always denounced our deep concern for the current state of Taranto healthcare. It is clear that the center left, for the last 15 years
regional health government has failed on all fronts. There
lack of staff and inefficient management of resources
available are problems that require immediate intervention and
resolutions. In all this, it is surprising to read the statements of
Regional Councilor Vincenzo Di Gregorio, who has governed the region since
several years, who after a long hibernation on the subject came to his senses
denouncing this sad reality but arbitrarily deciding to
find exclusive responsibilities in the management class
of the ASL.”
“We can no longer tolerate – concludes the note – that someone continues to distract the attention of the people of Taranto: the health of citizens is compromised by inadequate political management and broken promises. It is urgent that a change of direction takes place, starting from politics and the Regional Government and putting the right to health at the center to guarantee an efficient and accessible health service to
everyone”.
