“The text of the 2024 Budget Law, approved by the Council of Ministers, arrives in Parliament to follow the approval process. The government majority has presented public opinion with a financial maneuver capable – in their opinion – of giving breathing space to Italian healthcare. Instead, we must take note of how healthcare, an element of primary importance for citizens, continues to be put to the test by measures that are far from the objective of reorganizing the National Health Service.
The “additional” resources, much flaunted by Prime Minister Meloni, are not even able to cover the costs dictated by inflation and high energy prices. The funds allocated will not allow the Regions to cover all the expenses related to the healthcare sector, forcing them to take on further burdens. A scenario that is anything but reassuring, considering the dramatic situation Calabria finds itself in, already tested by continuous commissioners and an unsustainable plan to recover from medical debt. The maneuver, in fact, will accentuate the difficulties of managing Calabrian healthcare, exacerbating the qualitative deficiencies of the services offered and the implementation of the entire regional healthcare service.
Furthermore, the Budget Law is not able to act vigorously on the human resources of the healthcare sector: if on the one hand it tries to guarantee the renewal of the contract, on the other it proceeds with heavy cuts in pension returns, in especially for doctors. It is clear how much Italian healthcare is suffering from a serious shortage of personnel and the current budget does not include any measures aimed at incentivising workers in healthcare professions.
In light of these considerations, in a context already marked by lack of attractiveness in terms of human resources, Calabria will pay a very high price.
The trade unions in the sector have also expressed strong concerns, joining our battle to oppose the measure. The PD Group in the Regional Council and the Calabrian Democratic Party will be in the streets of Rome on November 11th, to defend the rights of Italian women and men. A demonstration to reiterate to this government that, to give new life to Italian healthcare, we must start again from a democratic concept of the system, capable of taking into account professionals, adequate funding, the quality of care, the attention paid to the most vulnerable .
Already in September, the PD group in the Regional Council filed a regional initiative law proposal addressed to Parliament to ensure adequate financial coverage for the National Health Service, providing – in addition to exceeding the spending limits for personnel – an increase in the National Health Fund of 4 billion per year for the next 5 years, with the aim of reaching the same at 7.5% of the national GDP. We hope that this proposal will soon be able to be discussed in the Commission and that, following the example of the Piedmont Region, our Regional Council can approve it unanimously”.
Amalia Bruni (Vice President of the Health Commission) wrote this in a note on behalf of the Democratic Party Group in the Regional Council.