Lombardy is the queen of waiting lists in Italian healthcare. What every (non-moneyed) Lombard has long known on an empirical level is now confirmed, numbers in hand, also by the report “Health Cannot Wait” realized by Consumer Federation in the Italian regions, sifting through the 2023 data of 41 local healthcare companies in metropolitan areas and peripheral to large cities, and in 13 hospital companies, collaboration with the CGIL.
Two years and 5 days for a Doppler ultrasound
The report shows that our region has managed to set unenviable records. Best-worst? THE 735 days (i.e. 2 years and 5 days) waiting for a cardiac Doppler ultrasound requested by the Magenta Hospital. But, sifting through the data, the (bad) surprises never end.
For example, I want it 682 days at Abbiategrasso Hospital to fix a photograph of the Fundus; 677 days to have your first eye exam at the Legnano facility. To be able to have a complete x-ray of the spine at the Magenta hospital, however, the wait is “only” 546 days. However, in the same hospital, if you need a physiatric visit, they wait 310 dayswhile a gynecological ultrasound is “quicker” (251 days).
We could also add to the list i 273 days waiting time for the first vascular visit requested by the Abbiategrasso hospital, or the 293 required for a patient at the Legnano hospital for a pneumological visit.
At the top of the delay charts
One might think that these are isolated cases. It is not so. The report lined up, one after the other, the records of waiting days for over a hundred specialties. And even here Lombard healthcare certainly did not shine: 426 days maximum time required for first cardiological visit; 227 for first cardiovascular visit; 280 for endocrinological examination; 332 for first gynecological visit.
But Fontana and Bertolaso say they are fighting waiting lists
And, all this, despite the fact that the Fontana council has for years now done nothing other than allocate funds to “reduce” waiting lists and publicize the Welfare Department’s commitment to reducing waiting times. Plastic (and numerical) demonstration that a lot of p is not working. And the reason is simple. There is a shortage of doctors and nurses in public health facilities.
Thus, when the Region allocates more funds, there is the paradox that that money ends up not in the public sector, but in private healthcare, which has doctors and nurses because it pays them more. After all, private healthcare was created to compete with the public sector, so if the waiting lists in the public sector grow enormously, the private sector profits enormously.
The absurd case of Fatebenefratelli where doctors are prevented from working overtime
And it is not even a given that in those few facilities where doctors exist and are willing to work overtime, even working on weekends, they are allowed to do so. This is the case of the ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, where on 15 February the health management sent an email which read: “with reference to the project to reduce waiting lists as part of the Corporate Waiting Times Governance Plan, a starting from MARCH 2024, the ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco intends to plan an extension of the opening hours of the Territorial Polyclinics until 8.00 pm, from Monday to Sunday. The project concerns the 6 company offices located throughout the territory: Accursio, Don Orione, Doria, Farini, Rugabella and Sassi”.
The Asst therefore asked “each interested Doctor to communicate, no later than Wednesday 21 February 2024, their availability to carry out activities in the paid area” and added that “further manifestations of availability to carry out additional hours will also be taken into consideration with respect to one’s institutional timetable”. The letter concluded by confirming “the hourly rate corresponds to €80.00/hour”.
We joked, delete everything
An appeal to which many had responded, only to then receive another email on 27 February, which canceled everything: “we would like to inform you that it is not currently possible to follow up on the numerous membership requests received. Administrative reasons do not allow the start of programming and we are sorry because, despite the logistical and assembly effort of the various requests received by you, we are forced to suspend the start of Open Clinics 2024 scheduled for 4/3/24 . It is understood that as soon as it is possible to officially notify the full resumption of the matter in question (even during the month of March itself), it will be our concern to inform you promptly”. It never happened.
