They live in terrible, degrading working conditions and are often forgotten. These are workers from the transformed area of Ragusa. During 2023, Emergency provided over 3,000 socio-health services in Sicily, supporting 982 people through a fixed clinic in Vittoria and a mobile clinic in the “transformed area”. These services offer assistance to poor and needy people, often excluded from the National Health Service. Emergency manages a clinic in Vittoria and a mobile clinic that moves between Marina di Acate and Santa Croce Camerina. Both provide general medical, nursing, socio-administrative consultancy and psychological support services. These services are part of Programma Italia, the Emergency initiative active since 2006 which is dedicated to providing care to those who need it most in Italy.
Transformed Band of Ragusano
In the “transformed area” of Ragusa, characterized by 30 kilometers of greenhouses, many laborers live in precarious housing conditions and are often exploited at work. The Emergency mobile clinic provided 1,353 socio-health services to 468 patients in 2023, of which: 590 general medical services, 444 nursing services, 278 cultural and linguistic mediation services, 39 psychological services.
The patients come from various countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, Romania, Bangladesh, Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Gambia, Senegal and Nigeria. As for their administrative status: 45.5% were non-EU citizens without a residence permit, 41.5% non-EU citizens with a residence permit, 5.5% European citizens without the requirements for registration with the SSN, 3.5 % European citizens meeting the requirements for registration with the SSN, 3.5% Italian citizens.
Men represented 91% of patients, while women 9%.
The fixed clinic in Vittoria provided 1,654 socio-health services for 514 patients in 2023, of which: 782 cultural and linguistic mediation interventions, 387 general medical activities, 371 nursing services, 116 interviews with the psychologist.
Men represented 75% of patients, while women 25%. As for their administrative status: 50% were non-EU citizens without a residence permit, 40% non-EU citizens with a residence permit, 4% European citizens without the requirements for registration with the SSN, 3% European citizens with the requirements for registration with the NHS.
“We see an increase in migrant patients with histories of trauma, addiction problems and serious symptoms. Cultural mediation is poor or absent in public structures, generating problems for foreign citizens,” explained Alessandro De Benedetto, Emergency psychologist. “The figure of the mediator is fundamental to overcome language barriers in offices, hospitals and clinics, essential for psychological support.”
Ahmed Echi, project coordinator, added: “In the ‘transformed belt’ the situation continues to worsen. The laborers live in dilapidated houses, far from population centers. The absence of cultural mediation in public offices, the complex bureaucracy and logistical problems are invisible borders that hinder access to care. Emergency operates in this void.”
