Italian Mayor Imposes Ban on Locals Falling Ill
Residents of Belcastro in Calabria lack sufficient healthcare services, according to Antonio Torchia. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Political mismanagement and mafia involvement have reportedly devastated the healthcare system in Calabria.
In response to the dire healthcare situation in his town, Antonio Torchia, the mayor of Belcastro, has issued a symbolic decree that prohibits residents from getting sick. This unusual measure aims to highlight the significant lack of healthcare services available to the town's population.
During a local television appearance, Torchia described the decree as “an ironic provocation,” according to the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. He clarified that the order was not meant to be taken literally but rather to emphasize the critical challenges faced by Belcastro’s 1,300 inhabitants.
The need for this initiative stems from the town’s unreliable emergency medical service, which hinges on the availability of health personnel, as noted by the news agency ANSA. Residents must travel approximately 45 km to the nearest emergency medical facility located in Catanzaro, the capital of the Calabria region.
This situation has “deleterious effects” on the community, particularly since elderly individuals represent half of the town’s population, added ANSA. Consequently, the mayor has "ordered" residents "to avoid contracting any disease that requires medical intervention, especially emergency, and to rest as much as possible."
“It would be impossible to guarantee adequate healthcare,” Torchia stated during his announcement. He mentioned that he had approached provincial health authorities regarding the matter last year but had yet to receive a response. “If there is no news soon,” he indicated that he would take his concerns to the Public Prosecutor's Office to file a complaint.
This symbolic decree is set against the backdrop of a more extensive healthcare crisis in Calabria, where 18 hospitals have closed since 2009. The region, located at the southern tip of Italy, is one of the least populated and poorest areas in the country. Reports have suggested that its healthcare system has been critically undermined by political mismanagement and mafia involvement, leading to the region being placed under special administration by the central government nearly 15 years ago.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
In response to the dire healthcare situation in his town, Antonio Torchia, the mayor of Belcastro, has issued a symbolic decree that prohibits residents from getting sick. This unusual measure aims to highlight the significant lack of healthcare services available to the town's population.
During a local television appearance, Torchia described the decree as “an ironic provocation,” according to the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. He clarified that the order was not meant to be taken literally but rather to emphasize the critical challenges faced by Belcastro’s 1,300 inhabitants.
The need for this initiative stems from the town’s unreliable emergency medical service, which hinges on the availability of health personnel, as noted by the news agency ANSA. Residents must travel approximately 45 km to the nearest emergency medical facility located in Catanzaro, the capital of the Calabria region.
This situation has “deleterious effects” on the community, particularly since elderly individuals represent half of the town’s population, added ANSA. Consequently, the mayor has "ordered" residents "to avoid contracting any disease that requires medical intervention, especially emergency, and to rest as much as possible."
“It would be impossible to guarantee adequate healthcare,” Torchia stated during his announcement. He mentioned that he had approached provincial health authorities regarding the matter last year but had yet to receive a response. “If there is no news soon,” he indicated that he would take his concerns to the Public Prosecutor's Office to file a complaint.
This symbolic decree is set against the backdrop of a more extensive healthcare crisis in Calabria, where 18 hospitals have closed since 2009. The region, located at the southern tip of Italy, is one of the least populated and poorest areas in the country. Reports have suggested that its healthcare system has been critically undermined by political mismanagement and mafia involvement, leading to the region being placed under special administration by the central government nearly 15 years ago.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
