Having put the budgets of the Emilia-Romagna local health authorities in order for 2023 (for Imola, the Region allocated over a further million euros no later than two months ago), the ‘hole’ has reopened in this year’s accounts.
The alarm is raised again by the regional councilor of Forza Italia, Valentina Castaldini, who speaks of “red accounts for public health in the 2024 budget estimates”. A debt which, for the entire Emilia-Romagna, exceeds 773 million euros, the Italian says. And that for Imola ‘cuba’ 28.9 million.
“This is a worrying situation – says the FI councilor –, despite the greater resources that the government has invested in the National Health Fund and for the recovery of waiting lists, the regional management does not stop recording losses”.
The budgets, underlines Castaldini, “should be presented by December 31st of each year. But today we find ourselves knowing the situation of the Emilia-Romagna healthcare system, without being able to discuss it in the appropriate forums anymore, given that after this week the regional activities will be stopped due to the resignation of president Stefano Bonaccini”.
Again according to councilor FI, “the impossibility of discussing the regional budget in the appropriate times and places risks once again having repercussions on the services that are provided”.
Despite the red of the Local Health Authorities, “even for 2024, with great effort and determination, we will achieve budget balance”, is the reply of the regional health councilor, Raffaele Donini.
“Like every year, the budget estimates of the local health authorities record a potential deficit of several hundred million euros – continues Donini –. The real quantification of the deficit, however, is not 700 million, as indicated by the councilor, but 322 million euros, since over 400 million euros of extraordinary resources still have to be distributed to the local health authorities for the reward of the national health fund, the 2023 pharmaceutical payback and the 225 million euros available for the centralized healthcare management of the Region”.
Also for the current year, therefore, “every effort will be made to balance the regional health budget – concludes Donini – through the use of extraordinary funds not yet disbursed by the State”.
