“Today’s discussion on public health is a natural continuation of yesterday’s discussion, which saw politics as the protagonist. We listened to representatives of various parties and tried to convey a clear message: the health service does not belong to the right or the left. It belongs to everyone. Every citizen, sooner or later, may need a National Health Service. Today we bring together citizens, general managers, Regional representatives, pharmacists and health professionals. There is only one goal: to work together to defend and strengthen the NHS, a fundamental achievement of democracy and Unfortunately, the gap between the countries of the North and South is increasing, even in healthcare, and this is a worrying sign.” Thus to Adnkronos Salute Antonio Magi, Secretary General of Sumai-Assoprof, on the occasion of the 57th National Congress of the Association of Outpatient Specialists entitled “Where Theory Ends and Treatment Begins”, which is taking place in Rome.
“We need a collective commitment to reform the system, starting from collective contracts and national labor agreements, setting common goals. If we all have the same goals – protecting citizens’ health and ensuring economic sustainability – we will take a firm step forward”, Magi believes. And regarding collaboration between politics and professionals he added: “Until now the organizational model has always come from the top (top down). But the opposite is also important: it starts from the bottom (bottom up), from the ideas and experiences of those who work in the field every day. Health workers and the public must be listened to: only in this way can health policy truly work.”
Magi has no doubts about the crisis in local medicine: “For years the region has been weakening. Many specialist doctors are retiring without being replaced and not enough investment is being made to maintain the local help network. The results are for everyone to see: patients, who can no longer find a specialist doctor in the local health authority, go to the emergency room and wait several days on stretchers.” For Minister Sumai, “relaunching specialist outpatient services is critical to rebuilding the filter in the region. This will reduce waiting lists and relieve pressure on emergency rooms, restoring the efficiency and dignity of our healthcare system”.
