BOLLENGO
AAA family doctors wanted. The problem of the chronic shortage of professionals that is affecting public health has exploded “almost” unexpectedly in the country, creating many problems for hundreds of citizens. The mayor, Luigi Sergio Ricca, took pen to paper and wrote a letter, concise in form but eloquent in content, to the president of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio, to the regional councilor for Health, Federico Riboldi and to the general director of the ASL/ To4 Stefano Scarpetta.
In the first lines, Luigi Sergio Ricca briefly describes how the problem came to light: «On 30 September – he recalls – Doctor Roberto Roffino, who served approximately 1,500 people, ceased his mandate as a family doctor in Bollengo. The official notice reached the interested parties only five days earlier, triggering a rush for replacement which immediately created many difficulties for those concerned, so much so that in a very short time the places available for the takeover by of other doctors.”
«Doctors who in fact were only one – stigmatizes the mayor of Bollengo – since in our District those reported with availability of spaces were indeed two, of which one, however, with the expectation of termination of the mandate in November, for which the overwhelming the majority of those interested concentrated on the other doctor, who quickly filled up his availability.” At the moment there are over two hundred discovered patients “who are anxiously searching for the new family doctor”. Doctors can be found “only in quite distant municipalities, with the logistical difficulties that can be encountered, especially in elderly people”.
Ricca then explains that «I am well aware of the difficulties in which the Region finds itself operating and those it encounters in recruiting new family doctors as well as the efforts made to introduce new staff as happened a few months ago», but with a firm tone urges “rapid intervention to guarantee local healthcare in our District too, assigning a new doctor in our area as soon as possible, or, in the meantime, allowing the doctors present and active to go beyond the limit of patients currently granted”.
We are now awaiting the response of the Region and ASL/To4 for a problem common to many local entities.
