ROVIGO – “It is not true, it is absolutely not true that a mayor cannot do anything to guarantee optimal healthcare for his citizens: there are regulatory provisions that can be enforced and, obviously, there is dialogue between institutional subjects , i.e. the mayor and the general director of the health company. It’s simply a matter of wanting to do it or not wanting to do it.”
He explained it Palmiro Franco Tosini, candidate for mayor of his civic list and that of the Democratic Party, on the evening of Saturday 25 May, in a packed Sala Celio, in the meeting attended by Andrea CrisantiSenator of the Democratic Party, teacher and microbiologist; Francesco Noce, President of the Rovigo Medical Association; And Denis Piombo, president of the Order of Nursing Professions of Rovigo; to moderate, Francesco Gennaro, member of the Democratic Party and himself a doctor.
At the center of the evening, the situation of the National Health Service – i.e. public health – in the aftermath of Covid. If, during the epidemic, it was thought that this at least served to underline the importance of public healthcare, the one equipped with emergency and emergency services, the one that saves lives, compared to private healthcare, the awakening was abrupt and immediate, as Crisanti well underlined.
“The waiting times in the public are getting longer – explained Crisanti – the waiting lists are infinite and go beyond the prescribed timesthe. For the first time, life expectancy in our country has not increased and, furthermore, our healthcare system is not fair, since those who have less often have to give up treatment, while those who have money can do so, creating disparities in life expectancy of life itself. The latter, in fact, becomes linked to the income bracket to which one belongs. In this situation, many citizens, not finding an answer to their needs, crowd the emergency rooms which, therefore, find themselves ‘clogged’ with white codesthat is, people who shouldn’t be there, but don’t know where to go to be visited.”
Counteracting this serious scenario in public healthcare is private healthcare, i.e. that which sees private entrepreneurs perform services on behalf of the National Health Service, then obtaining reimbursement. “It is – continued Crisanti – the dream of every entrepreneur: zero risks, guaranteed turnover from year to year, a profit margin of 15 – 18%, whereas in large-scale distribution, i.e. supermarkets, for example, we are around at 1%. But not only that: remember that private individuals do not have emergency and emergency departments, those that resolve critical situations, save lives, but also cost more and expose you to the risk of restraints. Those, i.e. the costs and problems, remain with the public”.
In short, the situation is serious. But it is not true, Tosini reiterated, that the mayor cannot do anything. “I, for sure, will commit to doing it from day one. For me it is not an electoral promise, but a right, guaranteed by law.”
