In a bold move to draw attention to the dire state of healthcare in his town, the Mayor of Belcastro, Italy, issued an ordinance declaring, "It is forbidden to get sick," according to ANSA.
Belcastro, a small municipality with just over 1,300 inhabitants located in the Presila Catanzarese area, grappled with severe healthcare deficiencies. The intermittent opening of the local medical station, which operates based on the availability of healthcare personnel, had "deleterious effects" on the citizens, ANSA reports. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that the nearest emergency room is situated at the hospital of Catanzaro, some 45 kilometers away from the town.
Due to these challenges, the mayor, Antonio Torchia, instructed residents to "avoid contracting any illness that requires medical intervention, especially urgent care, and to rest as much as possible," as reported by ANSA.
"The healthcare service is a right sanctioned by the Constitution," Torchia stated. "Since last June, I have been waiting for the healthcare service to be activated in Belcastro, a right, moreover, enshrined in the Constitution, but no one, at the moment, has given me an answer," he told ANSA.
"I must say that my ordinance produces more effects than the dozens of emails I have sent so far to the provincial health authority and the Prefecture of Catanzaro to explain the situation," Torchia remarked, according to ANSA. His frustration stemmed from repeated attempts to secure support from higher authorities, which were unsuccessful.
"It is a delicate and difficult situation," the mayor admitted. He expressed hope that his initiative would "shake some political conscience" and prompt the necessary interventions to resolve the crisis.
Torchia repeatedly tried to bring doctors to the town but was not supported by central authorities, as reported by HotNews. The scarcity of medical staff led to the closure of essential services, leaving residents without immediate access to healthcare.
Il Messaggero, La Repubblica, Leggo, and La Stampa also reported on the news.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.