This time the news is there. Even if it has not become formally such in time to avoid a national embarrassment. In the data provided to the Undersecretary of Health Gemmato, in fact, in the expenditure of the funds allocated for the increase in intensive and semi-intensive care beds Molise is still at the stake.
The story is that of the Covid Tower or, more properly, the Covid hub which today – almost five years after the outbreak of the pandemic and with the emergency fortunately over for at least two years – continues to make sense because it represents, in the new project recently re-approved, a strategic investment to strengthen Asrem’s healthcare response in Campobasso.
The health authority itself gave the final OK to yet another executive project a few days ago and sent it to the Regional Health Directorate and the commissioner’s office. Touch wood, it is finally the “right” project. It responds to the additions requested by the Fire Department and, net of a few observations, on the document – explains the director of the Technical and Maintenance office of via Petrella to Primo Piano – an agreement has been reached with the Build Consortium, the construction company selected by the national commissioner for the Covid emergency to carry out the intervention in the hospice next to the Cardarelli. The works will therefore be delivered shortly, confirms the director general Giovanni Di Santo whose strategic direction, in synergy with the Health Directorate led by Lolita Gallo, is responsible for finally unblocking the work.
Overall, Undersecretary Marcello Gemmato reported to the Social Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, four years after the Conte government’s decree 304/2020, only 47% of the additional beds envisaged by the law have been created (from as of July 31).
And, as often happens in Italy, there is a strong difference between the Regions: Abruzzo, for example, has already completed 100% of the objective set by decree 34. Emilia Romagna (96%) and the autonomous province of Bolzano (93%) are also close to the finish line. Molise is still stuck at 0%. (together with Sardinia and Val d’Aosta. Things are not much better in Calabria, where the data on additional places stops at 18% or in Val d’Aosta where it stops at 20%.
Complicating the situation is the fact that the project has been incorporated into the PNRR with an allocation of over 1.4 billion. More specifically, Quotidianosanità reports, the M6C2 component – Innovation, research and digitalization of the national health service of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan/Mission 6 Health, provides for the creation of at least 5,922 additional beds by 2026, of which 2,692 in intensive care and 3,230 in sub-intensive care. Therefore, at least 1,082 intensive care beds and 1,398 semi-intensive care beds are missing to be created by the 2026 deadline.
r.i.
