From healthcare, with the emergency of waiting lists, to the risk of marginalization. These were the most debated topics at the General Council of the Fnp Cisl of Messina which was held this morning in Santa Teresa di Riva in the presence of the regional secretary of the Fnp Rosaria Aquilone and the general secretary of CISL Messina, Antonino Alibrandi.
The opportunity, also, to launch the path that will see the CISL Messina Pensioners’ Federation celebrate its congress on 6 March 2025 at the conclusion of the assemblies and boards that will take place throughout the province.
But it was the waiting lists, one of the most debated topics. «At this moment – said the regional secretary Rosaria Aquilone – healthcare is an issue that affects all of us, especially the vulnerable groups. It is a problem at a national level which we feel particularly strongly in our region because, although resources have been allocated, they are not used and the waiting lists continue to be a serious problem for pensioners because in that age group the chronicity. We have the right to public healthcare for all and we will continue our battles in the area.”
Own the Fnp Cisl of Messina has activated an SOS help desk for the elderly and vulnerable groups in recent months, so as to help them manage waiting lists. «Unfortunately – underlined the general secretary Giovanni Ammendolia – there are still many requests even if the ASP, in some way, has begun to equip itself to provide a response, while we are still not registering progress in the hospital structures where, still, times are very long.”
The Fnp Cisl of Messina has also started a dialogue with the ASP to strengthen healthcare in the area. «We have had meetings with middle managers both on the waiting lists and on the issue of tickets which we fear may arise again soon. We await the meeting with the general director Cuccì also because there are many reports arriving at the SOS Health desk.”
The field in which the union is moving is not only healthcare. The CISL and the FNP, in fact, are working on the social issue. «Health must be reorganized so that it can be functional and useful to the needs of communities, but above all of the elderly and the frail, but there is a whole series of activities and services useful to the people we are paying attention to – recalled the general secretary of the CISL Messina, Antonino Alibrandi – We try to work on the daily life of people who live in old age, most of the time isolated, left alone. As CISL we are working to stay closer to them. One of the latest initiatives is linked to this, that of raising awareness of the phenomena of scams against the elderly. But the work of research and valorisation of new meeting spaces throughout the Messina community is needed to provide those spaces where they can organize themselves and move to be free.”