Prohibiting citizens from getting sick with an ordinance to draw attention to the serious shortcomings of the local healthcare system: it happens in Belcastro
In the small municipality of Belcastrolocated in the province of Catanzaro, the mayor Antonio Torchia has issued a rather singular ordinance, prohibiting citizens from getting sick. While the initiative is clearly provocative, it highlights an extremely serious problem: the serious shortcomings of the local health system.
In Belcastro, which has just over 1300 inhabitants, half of whom are elderly, the service medical guard is available irregularlydepending on the availability of increasingly scarce healthcare personnel. Furthermore, the 118 station, located in Sersale, it’s about 40 minutes away from the country and does not have a doctor on board.
Even further away, 45 kilometers away, the nearest emergency room is located at the Catanzaro hospital. In a community with such an elderly population, these logistical difficulties pose a serious threat to public health.
A situation that many inland areas face
Torchia, exasperated by the lack of answers concrete actions by local and provincial health authorities, has decided to draw attention to this health emergency with an ordinance that “orders” citizens to avoid getting sick.
And it doesn’t end there because the mayor has declared that if the situation does not improve, he will present a formal complaint at the Public Prosecutor’s Office for interruption of public service. The goal is push the authorities to take urgent action to resolve the shortcomings affecting the country’s healthcare system.
The ordinance has already had the desired effect of bring public and political attention to the issue. Torchia highlighted that, despite having sent numerous official communications to the Provincial Health Authority and the Prefecture of Catanzaro, he has so far received no concrete responses. His hope is that this initiative will be able to raise awareness among the competent authorities, pushing them to improve essential health services for the community.
The case of Belcastro represents an example of the difficulties that many internal and peripheral areas face in terms of access to adequate medical care. The situation highlights the need for structural interventions to ensure that the right to health, enshrined in the Italian Constitution, is effectively respected even in small communities. The hope is that Torchia’s provocative action will not only lead to local improvements, but stimulate a broader debate on the need for strengthen health services in rural areas of the country.
