In Italy the doctors crisis of general medicine, especially in the internal areas of Abruzzo, Marche, Molise and Umbria. In these regions, according to the data presented at the Interregional Congress of the Italian Society of General Medici (Simg), many communities have already remained without a family doctor.
A situation that risks becoming structural, aggravated by depopulation, by fragmentation of the territory and the absence of generational change. More than 50% of doctors in some areas has exceeded 65 years and in the coming years it could retireleaving entire territories without welfare coverage.
Few doctors, too many patients
In the four regions of central Italy the situation is called “dramatic” by professionals in the sector. The general practitioner is now a figure that cannot be found in many small municipalities, especially in the mountains or in the hilly areas that are difficult to reach. A single doctor is often forced to cover more common, with travel times that drastically reduce the possibility of making daily visits.
According to the Simgthe numbers collected between 2018 and 2023 are clear: out of 197 seats made available for the formation of new basic doctors, only 123 doctors actually obtained a diploma. In Abruzzo, for example, 595 overweight live, but many of them no longer have a assigned doctor.
The ranking of the regions most at risk
The deficiency of basic doctors is not distributed uniformly on the Italian territory. The regions of the Center suffer more suffering, where the reduced housing density of the internal areas are added logistical difficulties, lack of new professionals trained and aging of the medical class.
Analyzing the declarations of the regional secretaries of the Italian Society of General Medicine (Simg), a real one emerges Map of the health emergencywith some regions closer to the collapse of territorial medicine.
In detail:
- In Abruzzo there is a high presence of over one hundred years old, mountain territories and lack of new doctors trained. 54% of the municipalities are mountain and hosts 27% of the population;
- In Molise, the second less populated region in Italy, with over 50% of the doctors over 65 years of age. The local health system is police station and many doctors choose to move elsewhere;
- In the Marche there are serious deficiencies in the internal areas, where doctors must cover the most common distant from each other. In the cities the situation is less critical;
- In Umbria the training offer does not cover the real demand, only half of the places available for general medicine is covered every year. The rural areas remain uncovered.
Will the reform be enough? Doubts
The proposal of the community houses, part of the reform of the National Health Service, may not be sufficient. According to doctors in the area, merge more common in a single structure does not solve the problem of the lack of staff and distance between the inhabited centers.
The concrete risk is to further worsen the quality of primary assistance, especially for the most fragile bands of the population, such as the elderly of the internal areas. To date, without immediate and structural interventions on training, logistics and incentives, the system risks not holding.
