The right to health "is trampled upon in penitentiaries in Italy." This is what Bruno Zuccarelli, leader of doctors in Naples and the province, says.
The professional underlines how the condition of Italian prisons represents one of the most serious emergencies of our country and, for this reason, it should be among the top priorities of any government program that wants to define itself as civil and democratic.
"As president of the Naples Medical Association, but first and foremost as a physician, I feel I cannot refrain from commenting on the unsustainable situation experienced by inmates in prisons and by my medical colleagues who are trying to stem the system's decline by guaranteeing the right to health of those serving prison sentences."
"The Italian prison system," he continues, "in many cases fails to live up to the principles enshrined in the Constitution, which places human dignity at the center of the legal system.
Many inmates live in appalling conditions, in overcrowded facilities, where space is inadequate and sanitary conditions are often precarious. This situation not only undermines the dignity of individuals, but also poses a serious safety risk for the staff assigned to care for the inmates.
The president of the doctors of Naples places emphasis on the issue of health care within penitentiary institutions which is "extremely lacking.
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In many cases, the detainees they do not receive adequate care for physical or psychological illnesses, leaving them in a state of chronic suffering."
The leader of the white coats points the finger at staff shortages and overcrowding that makes it impossible to adequately manage the scarce resources available. "A reflection of this pathological situation is the increase in suicides," Zuccarelli denounces, "which have multiplied dramatically in recent years."
In this context, says the president of the doctors of Naples, "The right to health, recognized by the Constitution as fundamental for every citizen, is too often effectively denied within prisons.
The serious shortcomings in the prison health system not only undermine the possibility of rehabilitation of prisoners, but represent a form of additional punishment, in open contrast with the principle that punishment must have a re-educational and not punitive function.
A prison that does not guarantee the dignity and health of its inmates becomes a hotbed of desperation, a place of social abandonment, and not a tool for reintegration.
Addressing these issues urgently is a moral and political duty, since no society can be considered just and civilized if it abandons its most vulnerable members, even when they are serving a sentence. Human dignity and the right to health must be guaranteed to everyone, without exception.
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October 17, 2025 - 16:16
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16 September 2025 - 10:55
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19 August 2025 - 16:13
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