Waiting lists, protection of healthcare personnel, and safeguarding the universalistic approach of the Italian national health system. These are some of the topics addressed by the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci during the phone interview, conducted by AdnKronos director Davide Desario, during Capri Talks, an initiative curated by Spin Factor on the Neapolitan island. An emergency surgical procedure, in fact, kept Minister Schillaci physically away from the event stage.
THE CHALLENGES OF THE ITALIAN NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM
Our National Health System is facing profound issues: some historical, such as the unevenness between territories, others more contemporary, such as the rising costs due to the chronic nature of diseases once fatal.
“Our National Health Service has a very high level, envied and recognized abroad, one of the most appreciated in the world,” explained the minister. “The quality of care has recently been recognized by the OECD and the European community; we have a National Health Service that takes care of everyone, regardless of income, and that has made it so that today in Italy there are 23,500 centenarians.” At the same time, however, “it is a somewhat patchy health system: there is too much difference in access to care and assistance among the various Italian regions, and access to care cannot depend on the postal code of residence.”
SCHILLACI: “PRESERVING THE ASSETS OF THE NHS”
The challenge, therefore, is to preserve this asset “by adapting it to the new needs of an aging population, changing technologies, and resources that are not infinite. We spend a lot on healthcare, but everyone must clearly know that we spend what we can afford. We are the second most long-lived nation in the world, but unfortunately we are not the second largest economy in the world.”
THE ISSUE OF WAITING LISTS
These are critical issues that directly affect the territory and the daily lives of citizens, who sometimes find themselves deprived of the right to access care due to excessively long waiting lists.
“Twenty years of unkept promises have inevitably fueled citizens’ skepticism. Waiting lists have always represented the most hateful and critical aspect of our National Health Service,” added the minister. “Being a doctor, I started from a fundamental premise: to treat, you need a correct diagnosis. Without precise data, it is impossible to identify the appropriate therapy for the system. That is why, for the first time, we have built a national platform that allows real-time monitoring of bookings, with objective and non-manipulable data. The Government put its face on it by issuing a decree with clear rules and sanctions, while simultaneously starting a thorough and quiet work together with the Regions.”
AGENAS DATA
An effort that, according to the Ministry’s focus, is already showing initial results on the ground. “Over a thousand hospitals have improved their performance by 20% annually, and in some regions, there is an increase of 40%. I want to emphasize that these are official Agenas data, not personal evaluations. Until now, waiting lists have been discussed purely anecdotally; now we finally have the tools to understand the real extent of the problem, precisely identifying where and on which services it is necessary to intervene. The teamwork with Agenas and the Regions continues to consolidate these results and guarantee citizens the services they need, within the correct timeframes.”
SCHILLACI: “UNTHINKABLE TO ATTACK THOSE WHO ARE CARING”
The conversation then shifted to the numerous attacks against medical and nursing staff, a problem particularly felt in emergency rooms and medical guard services. “Healthcare workers represent the best part of our National Health Service. As a doctor, as a citizen, and as a minister, I find it simply unacceptable that those wearing a white coat and working daily to care for others are attacked. It is a shameful phenomenon, made even more intolerable by the fact that it disproportionately affects female workers,” explained Schillaci. “From a legislative point of view, we have already intervened by toughening penalties, but the severity of the law alone is not enough. We need adequate communication and, above all, a profound cultural shift. It is unthinkable that a person, or their family members, go to a facility to receive assistance and end up attacking those who are working for the health of others. On this front, we have invested a lot and, alongside the Regions and professional orders, we will continue to carry forward what I consider a true battle of civilization and progress.”
