The mayor of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria Giuseppe Falcomatà this morning met the workers of CooLap, operators of the Reggio psychiatric facilities, permanently present at the headquarters of the Provincial Health Authority. The mayor wanted to show solidarity with the workers, patients and families of the structures, visiting the garrison in via Diana. “It is a real social drama, a violation of the right to health and work, for operators, for patients, for families and in general for the entire metropolitan community which cannot be deprived of the precious service of psychiatric facilities ” said the mayor on the sidelines of the meeting with workers and union representatives.
“It is not possible to continue living in this condition of absolute precariousness and uncertainty – he added – I therefore join the cry of alarm of workers, families and trade union forces. Hospitalizations must be unblocked immediately, so that those in need can be treated in a local facility, without having to go to other Calabrian provinces. The age-old problem of accreditation of these structures must be resolved once and for all. The risk is that our territory will face a sort of health desertification which we consider absolutely intolerable.”
“A meeting with the Region is scheduled for Monday, which could determine a step forward. I hope and am convinced that President Occhiuto will take this situation head on and that a solution can be reached as early as Monday. Otherwise we will continue to stay close to the battle of these workers, activating all the tools in the possession of local institutions. I am thinking of the activation of the ASP Committee and the ASP Mayors’ Conference. However, we hope – concluded the mayor – that the situation will be resolved before the activation of this procedure”.