Healthcare System: a Legend?

First posted: 10 october 2009

People say that the Italian health system is the best in the world, we can try to enumerate its merits. Seniors, an increasing category in Italy, could be the turning point (or bolling point, to speak properly) to test the situation.

When, for example, a grandfather had an operation for some attack or a broken limb, obviously (as you know), to facilitate the recovery procedure he is followed by a physical therapist, at the hospital, for five long minutes until he’s discharged.

If old man’s relatives are quick and they ask for RSA (health care residence), by the hospital, just when the grandfather has been admitted in the hospital there is the possibility to find a room in one of these “random” houses (because they can’t choose a specific structure), otherwise, as soon as possible he’ll come back to his home without any chance to fulfill a further request of admittance.

This type of structures always is hi-tech systems (you can guess if I’m telling the truth, all the alarms are broken), fresh and clean (who dares to use the toilet, in case there is one?…) managed by a staff of professional workers who (should) care about patients with love (except for the neglectable issue that most of the workers in there come from foreign countries, and, consequently, they’re not able to have a human communication with the hospital residents).

If the old patient is lucky and he is admitted in a bit more serious structure he could be followed by a physiotherapist for ten minutes three times a week: all know that such a little time isn’t enough to help the recovery of the patient, so familiars have to take a personal physio or to perform that role by themselves (personally I tried the second option with two different grandparents).

Should I talk about how the patient is cleaned, rearranged, etc. by the paid personal of the hospital, or did I give enough information about the failure of the organization: that is spoiling and affecting the italian health care system? An example could be how many times a day the hospital personal changes diapers to an invalid person who (my apologise for my next words) happens “to surf” in his physical needs and excrements for hours.

I won’t mention all the viral diseases patients can be affected by, while being in contact with their relatives, or with other hospital mates such as pneumonia and other types of various infections.

If we consider that i’m talking about an actual situation of the north of Italy (a sort of scandal we have to cope with, facing the reality), we can just imagine how the patients are followed how they care about hospitals residents in the south of Italy, where the situation is very serious and there are lots of problems.

I can hear around (reading newspapares, listening to common people, talking with friends, etc.) that our health care system is considered to be one of the best in the world; am I supposed to trust those persons or (being practical and rational) should I blame the progressive collapse of the welfare in general, including hospitals and health care?