The waiting lists that afflict Italian healthcare are also the poisoned result of diagnostic equipment with an average age of 10 years, often even 15, and at the same time of inefficient use, because instead of working at full capacity, often they work for a few hours a day. Reason: above all, technicians and nurses are missing, but also radiologists. An important renewal is underway with the Pnrr given that 1.2 billion euros in funding has arrived to purchase 3,200 latest generation machines. There is only one problem: in parallel there is no strengthening of the personal voice and, therefore, if there has been underuse in the past, there will also be in the immediate future.
OBSOLESCENCE
To use a very rough metaphor: a transport company can renew its fleet with shiny, modern buses, but if there aren’t enough drivers they will still stay in the garage for too long. Obsolescence, which already affects inherited equipment from the past, risks becoming a not too distant specter even for new ones. The measure, which postponed the start of 30 thousand hirings for a year, does not help. Moral: few staff and lack of resources for the structures risk frustrating the efforts. From the Roman observation point, Professor Gianfranco Gualdi, specialist in diagnostic radiology and former director of the emergency radiology unit at the Policlinico Umberto I, makes this summary: «We don’t make the best use of the machinery we have because in public structures there are no it is sufficient staff. So timetables are cut and citizens are not given answers. This is a clear waste of resources.” The private sector manages to optimize the use of equipment, using them at full capacity, while the public sector does so only partially and this risks tipping the scales against the national healthcare system. Giovanni Migliore is the president of Fiaso, the federation that brings together healthcare and hospital companies and therefore has a privileged observation point: «The situation in Italy is at least patchy. In some areas it is possible to guarantee an extension of the operating hours of these machines, but in many others not. The purchase procedures for the 3,200 primary diagnostic devices that will arrive thanks to the Pnrr funds – he adds – will be completed next year. To date, half of them have been installed.” Why are we late? Answer: «When you buy a large piece of equipment, putting it into operation is not easy. Work is needed to adapt it to the structure. And there was also a discussion on the price revision and for this reason the tenders had a difficulty. There was a delay of a year, but by 2026 they will all be ready.” The problem we have though – with both old and new machines – is that they don’t run at full capacity. Other than laboratories also open on weekends. «Although – Migliore specifies – the situation is not the same throughout Italy. That said, the staffing problem exists. We have a time window that will last two-three years because the professionals in whose training we have invested will enter service in that period of time. In the past the programming was wrong. And more than radiologists, there is a lack of technicians who are obviously fundamental.”
IN NODI
While waiting for the renewal of diagnostic equipment to be completed, in Italy there is old equipment. The data is from 2021 and was released by Confindustria Dispositivi Medici and concerns the 37 thousand devices present in Italy. Some extreme cases: 92 percent of conventional mammographs, 96 percent of CT scans, 91 percent of conventional fixed x-ray systems are more than 10 years old. According to an analysis by the National Radiology Union, obsolescence affects approximately 73 percent of the traditional mammography machines present in the Center and South. «And in hospitals – they add – there is a problem of generational turnover even among radiologists given that the age average is 57 years”. In summary: in Italy there is no numerical shortage of equipment, but it is old and works in fits and starts. Now there is an important renewal underway, thanks to Pnrr funds, but it will have a limited positive impact, because the staff is not increasing, in fact the turnover of those retiring has stalled. And it is difficult to increase the number of performances.
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Italian Healthcare: An Equipment Meltdown!
Welcome to the latest episode of “Wait and See,” the Italian healthcare saga where getting a scan is as easy as spotting a unicorn on a scooter! Seriously though, our waiting lists could rival those at the latest trendy gelato shop, but with a bit less chocolate and a whole lot more bureaucratic dissatisfaction.
It seems our diagnostic machines are like fine Italian wine—aged to perfection! Unfortunately, the vintage we’re working with has an average age of around 10 years—some even pushing the 15-year mark. Which in tech years is roughly equal to a caveman’s club. A bit of an upgrade might be in order! What’s on the menu? A tasty serving of shiny new devices promised via the Pnrr, which are thankfully being funded with a smidge of 1.2 billion euros. But here’s the kicker: if we don’t have enough technicians and nurses, does it matter if we unbox the latest machines? They’ll be gathering dust like last year’s holiday decorations.
The Ol’ Obsolescence Tango
Let’s envision this: a transport company that just got a fleet of dazzling buses but can’t find drivers. They’ll be sitting pretty in the garage while the struggle to pick up passengers continues. Well, in this healthcare drama, we’re facing precisely that—shiny new machines and not enough personnel to run them! Due to government measures that postponed the start of 30,000 hirings, we’re essentially delaying the solution, like setting the snooze button on an alarm clock for 2026.
And as our savvy Professor Gianfranco Gualdi, a specialist in diagnostic radiology, lays it out: public structures lack the staff to utilize the equipment. So, when we do finally roll out those new toys, let’s hope someone remembered to hire the people who know how to play with them!
Of course, while we’re all about sharing the love with our private healthcare sector, they’re managing to keep their machines running as if they were in a Formula 1 race while our public sector is lagging behind like a school bus on a field trip. Giovanni Migliore from Fiaso chimed in with his insights, pointing out that purchasing these fancy new toys is only part of the battle. Installing them requires adapting current structures, adjusting pricings, and… oh, wouldn’t you know it? That took longer than expected. So let’s mark 2026 as our “big reveal”—kind of like waiting for the next season of a Netflix series.
Old Solutions in a New Era
Now, while we’re buzzing about these fancy future gadgets, let’s not forget the sad state of our current ones. According to a slightly distressing report from 2021, 92% of conventional mammographs and a stunning 96% of CT scans are more than a decade old. If you think that’s bad, hold onto your stethoscopes: in Southern Italy, a shocking 73% of traditional mammography devices are rolling into the senior citizens’ discount zone. That’s right! They’re practically begging for an upgrade while their operators are knocking on retirement’s door, and by the way, the average age of these radiologists is 57. Talk about a ticking clock!
So, even with those bright new machines on the horizon, without the right staff, we’re merely changing the wallpaper in a crumbling house. It’s like giving a facelift to a beloved, but a rusty old Fiat. Everyone’s smiling until you realize it can only drive in fits and starts.
In summary, Italy isn’t exactly in a numerical shortage of diagnostic equipment; it’s merely clamoring for some maintenance teams and a bit of rejuvenation in staffing. Let’s hope that as we work toward fixing our system, we don’t just shove old machines into a corner while the new ones kick up their heels and collect dust like they’re auditioning for a role in a bad sitcom.
