Naples – A silent crisis, yet one with unprecedented emergency numbers, threatens to overwhelm the Campania healthcare system on the eve of flu season and the return of Covid. According to a warning issued by the FIMMG (Italian Federation of General Practitioners), the region is short of 700 family doctors.
This shortage directly translates into a chasm in healthcare: up to 900 patients are effectively left without a stable point of contact for primary care.
The situation was forcefully denounced by Vincenzo Schiavo, provincial president of the Naples Federation of Medical Doctors, who didn't mince his words: "We're not talking about numbers on a sheet of paper, but about people. Under these conditions, we can't guarantee continuity of care, nor an effective vaccination campaign against influenza, Covid, and pneumonia."
(h3)One fifth of the missing staff: the crisis in the internal areas
Campania has approximately 3.500 general practitioner practices for a population of over 4,9 million people over 14. The 700 unfilled shortages—the publication of which was expected last July—essentially represent a fifth of the staff needed to cover the regional needs.
The crisis is affecting everyone, but the greatest burden is felt in inland areas, where the shortage of doctors is leading to the permanent closure of clinics. The result is that entire communities are left without this fundamental pillar of healthcare, forcing chronically ill patients, and especially the elderly and frail, to inappropriately seek hospital emergency rooms, even for minor problems.
(h3)Risk of hospital collapse and vaccinations at risk
The most immediate impact of this shortage will be seen with the arrival of autumn.
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Failure to protect the territory means:
Discontinuation of care for chronic patients.
Lower adherence to therapies and diagnostic delays.
Exponential increase in improper access to emergency rooms, which ends up saturating the hospital network even for minor pathologies.
(h3)General medicine is the bulwark of the system
Union representatives describe general practice as "the barrier that keeps the system from collapsing." If this barrier fails, the impact on the hospital system will be devastating.
The request to the regional government is clear and urgent: immediately publish the shortcomings and establish a clear timetable for the transfers. But business as usual isn't enough. "We also need bridging measures to keep uncovered practices open and make the profession attractive," adds Schiavo.
The FIMMG's final appeal is for responsibility: with nearly a million citizens without a doctor, Campania risks compromising the routine management of healthcare, jeopardizing the health of the most vulnerable and the dignity of professionals. Family medicine, Schiavo and Tommasielli conclude, must return to being the front line of healthcare.
Comments (1)
The health care situation in Campania is worrying, with so many doctors missing. Patients are left alone and don't know who to turn to. General practice must be urgently strengthened to avoid collapse.