THE CASE
PESCARA The Pescara Local Health Authority speaks, in an official note, of “rampant misinformation”, but the spotlight lit by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Adriatic capital on the waiting lists could also extend its light to the rest of the regional territory. It should be clarified, at the outset, that the open investigation file does not currently contain suspects or the hypothesis of a crime and the judicial police activity has focused at this stage exclusively on the acquisition of information from the Health Agency regional, department and department. Also because the issue of waiting lists is complex and involves multiple levels of the system. The Region is entrusted with a planning function, while the individual health companies are responsible for implementing the directives. For the Pescara ASL, the only voice that was raised yesterday after the news of the investigation came out, it all arose following a national TV broadcast which, on May 22nd, highlighted a series of critical issues, which were also common to practically all Italian regions. First of all, that of Legislative Decree 124 of 1998 which provided for the possibility of reimbursing patients if they had not received the public service within the time limits set by the regulations and had turned to private providers. On this, the Pescara health company says that the rule ceased to be effective, according to the provisions of the same law, with the entry into force of the regional sector regulations (with council resolutions 496 of 5/31/2005, 1050 of 24/10/2005, 710 of 26/6/2007 and 102 of 5/2/2007). «As a demonstration of the attention paid to the problem – says the note – the ASL of Pescara, as well as the ASL of Teramo, has requested a specific opinion from the Department of Health of the Abruzzo Region, regarding the correct interpretation of the aforementioned legislation. The feedback received from the Department confirmed the “transitional nature of the regulatory provision” and its non-application pursuant to the relevant regional provisions”. No refunds, therefore, to those who turned to private individuals.
THE KNOTS
The issue of the blocking of waiting lists for some specific services is different, and the investigators want to investigate this further. Blockade which is not permitted by the rules: on this the Region has already repeatedly urged the health companies (and the CUP in particular) so that no citizen hears the reply “sorry, there are no dates available”. Finally there is the issue of intramoenia and extramoenia: that is, the Prosecutor’s Office wants to understand if the rate of services that doctors offer privately in hospital facilities exceeds the coefficients established in the relationship with those publicly insured. All themes, as is evident, which apply to Pescara as well as to other territories. The ASL of Pescara ensures «the precise desire to implement all possible actions to improve waiting times», reiterates that «waiting times have been published for years, on a monthly basis, in the “For the citizen” area “, under the heading “Waiting lists” on the company website” and that, together with the Region, every significant and suitable action that could lead to the improvement of the services provided in favor of citizens was undertaken “with the most complete involvement”, in a critical context at national level.
THE COUNTERMEASURES
The regional plan to reduce waiting lists was presented at the end of April. It provides for the extension of the hours of diagnostic imaging, until 10pm and also on Saturdays, the limitation of the freelance professional activity of intramoenia doctors, to instead give priority to the disposal of visits booked in all public hospitals in Abruzzo, the possible appeal , for certain services, to affiliated private clinics. Directives shared with the provincial local health authorities, by the regional health agency, directed by Pierluigi Cosenza, together with the health councilor Nicoletta Verì and the head of the region’s health department, Claudio D’Amario. The initiative was foreseen in a council resolution approved in 2019, which drew up a detailed plan for reducing waiting lists. But then the Covid-19 pandemic arrived and everything was forced to stop. The national government has also issued a decree with urgent measures: among these, diagnostic and specialist visits also on Saturdays and Sundays with extended hours.
Stefano Dascoli
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
