Hundreds of Italian doctors and caregivers demonstrated in the center of Rome on Tuesday. They denounce a deterioration of the health system in the country.
They call themselves the “forgotten heroes”, and demand that their voice be heard and respected. Despite heavy rains, hundreds of Italian doctors and caregivers gathered this Tuesday in the center of Rome to demand an improvement in their working conditions and an end to budget cuts affecting their pensions.
According to him, the profession suffers from a growing lack of attractiveness among young people, which could have devastating consequences on the health system.
Italy’s healthcare system was recently ranked among the best in the world and is one of the country’s greatest assets. That’s why so many doctors here today are wondering what happened, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic and after the country was on the front lines in the fight against the virus.
“We want to regain that social and professional dignity that has been gradually taken away from us. “We simply demand that the measures that are part of the 2024 budget bill take care of us and of a sector that is not managed as it should be. should” explains Pierino di Silverio, general secretary of Anaao-Assomed.
Sherkat Shahram, striking doctor, adds: “Until today, the Italian health system was capable of providing universal and free access to health coverage to anyone in need, but today it is simply collapsing. When emergencies are passed, they put us aside and on top of that we are penalized.”
Here, many believe that being a doctor is a vocation and not just a profession. According to them, if the system deteriorates, patients will pay the price.
“Patients are at the center of our treatments and every time we choose not to let them die, we need help. Indeed, poor quality or poorly performed treatments lead us to errors. We do not want make mistakes” says Cristina Cenci, who works at CimoLab.
The organizers did not expect such a level of participation. Up to 80% of the Italian health sector went on strike on Tuesday. A second day of mobilization is already planned before the end of the month.