Doctor emergency: due to gaps in the ward it is easier to hire 24 thousand specialists

How to climb the mountain of attestation list with the same forces – few and exhausted following the pandemic – that so far those hateful queues have failed to break down, forcing millions of Italians to wait for treatment? An important help might come from the possibility of employing part-time workers young doctors who are still specializing following graduating in medicine.

It’s a small army of over 24 thousand young white coats who as early as the second year of the course (which last up to 5 years) can be hired in the wards with fixed-term contracts: the rule has already existed since 2018, tested during the pandemic and has become structural with the bill decree of 2023 (it was supposed to expire in 2025) thanks to the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci who strongly supported it.

It’s a shame that the university with their schools that train specialists they continue to place a thousand limits, effectively prohibiting many young people from being able to participate in competitions: there are no official estimates but to date no more than 2-3 thousand young doctors have been employed in this way despite the great shortage of white coats in the ward.

But now thanks to one modification to the latest Pnrr decree (quater) expected in the Chamber on 12 April, this impasse might finally be resolved: several amendments reported by the majority – such as those signed by Annarita Patriarca (Fi) – in fact provide for the possibility for the young doctor to be able to specialize in the structure that has been hired on a fixed-term contract (which may eventually become permanent) even if this «is not included in the training network of the specialization school in which the student is enrolled». In practice, a specialist in anesthesia from Palermo will be able to work and complete his training even in a structure in Rome that is not part of the training network of his school of belonging, provided that obviously behind the new structure where he will be employed there is always a school of anesthesia.

“This amendment will further increase the size of the hiring of doctors in training in the National Health Service, an option considered by almost all trainees as a great work, salary and training opportunity, resolving an important procedural issue. Thousand of residentsdue to a forced interpretation of the current legislation by the Universities, are currently employed for only 18 months in the thousands of structures accredited by the National Observatory of Medical Training of their discipline which are not part of the school in which they are enrolled, with this amendment permanently allows them the period of employment until they obtain the specialization qualification with the lawautomatic permanent hiring», warns Giammaria Liuzzi, head of Anaao Giovani (the main acronym for hospital workers). According to Liuzzi, eliminating this “obstacle” puts an end to “a widespread deterrent used by school directors to “convince” trainees not to complete the hiring procedures following having won a regular public competition”.