Nocera – Endless waits for surgery or the alternative of paying thousands of euros. This is the story of Ilaria De Prisco, a patient with a benign polyp in her throat, for which doctors had prescribed a necessary operation.
However, faced with the prospect of waiting for almost two years at the hospital in Nocera Inferiore, he decided to seek treatment in Emilia Romagna, where she was operated on in just 35 days.
The patient herself reported the case: "The doctor told me that the waiting lists were endless, almost two years. Then he offered me an alternative: intramoenia, paying 4500 euros. In the end I turned to another specialist, who works in Emilia-Romagna, and there I was operated on in just over a month".
Internal investigation: the health director's response
Faced with the outcry over the affair, the Umberto I hospital in Nocera Inferiore has launched an internal investigation. Health director Rosalba Santarpia declared: “We are not aware of such long waiting lists, we need to investigate further. We guarantee public service and this situation humiliates me”.
The manager also announced new hires to deal with the emergency: “The competition for nurses will start soon, while new anesthetists, ENT specialists and surgeons have already been hired and are about to start work”.
The affair reignites the debate on the critical issues of the public health system, including endless waiting lists and the need to guarantee timely care to all citizens, without forcing them to move to other regions.
Article published on March 27, 2025 - 15pm
