It will be too a protest against differentiated autonomy the regional demonstration for the right to health and for the relaunch of public health that the CGIL Sicilytogether with the Public Function and regional Spi categories, has organized for 20 June, with a concentration in Parliament Square at 10.30, in Palermo and a procession to Palazzo D’Orleans.
Differentiated Autonomy will be put to the vote in Montecitorio in these days. Wanted by the Northern League member Calderoli, it is “destined to deal a definitive blow to the already fragile Sicilian healthcare system – we read in a note from the CGIL -, widening the gap with the northern regions and making the right to health more ephemeral”. An already fragile right on the island, as demonstrated by the long waiting lists, the status of emergency rooms and hospitals, the weakness of local medicine. A situation for which the CGIL attributes responsibility to the national government for the lack of investments, but also to the regional government “which – states the general secretary of the Sicilian CGIL – Alfio Mannino – looks at healthcare only as a place of clientele and sharing of power”.
“What is more serious – adds Mannino – is that the Schifani government did not oppose the Calderoli bill, which will penalize all essential services in the south, including education, but rather supported it”. Say the general secretaries of Spi and Fp, Maria Concetta Balistreri and Gaetano Agliozzo: “We are still waiting for the reorganization plan of the hospital network and the relaunch of local medicine. And that the problem of the dramatic shortage of healthcare personnel is addressed.” In the platform of CGIL, FP and SPI also the redevelopment of Rsa and Cta, the strengthening of the emergency-urgency network, socio-health integration, the safety of healthcare personnel.
Every year 800 thousand Sicilians give up treatment
The data is dramatic: every year 800 thousand Sicilians give up treatment due to the slow and inadequate response of the public health system and the costs of the private sector. Entire hospital departments, even emergency rooms, are struggling or closing. In Sicily there is no adequate prevention and essential levels of assistance are not guaranteed, there is a lack of doctors and paramedics. The results of inequalities in access to care and services have a serious impact on healthy life expectancy. Sicily isto about, the penultimate region of Italy, followed by Calabria, with a gap that exceeds 5 years of life compared to Trentino and 11 years compared to the autonomous province of Bolzano. And with differentiated autonomy there is a risk of decreasing resources.
“We will therefore go from bad to worse – declares Alfio Mannino –, sliding along a path already started from a national health service founded on the protection of a constitutional right to 21 health systems regulated by the laws of the free market. The North-South divide will consolidate”. Back in the streets therefore for healthcare and for one more reason: “To fight a measure that divides the country – concludes the CGIL note – against which our mobilization will not stop”.
