Criminal shield for doctors and voluntary raising of the retirement age from 70 to 72 for the category. The two measures will most likely be provided for with amendments to the Milleproroghe. But if the doctors strongly reiterate the need for the decriminalization of the medical act, they say they are ready to fight even by resorting to a new general strike if the political forces propose again the change in the age for retirement.
Clarifying the position of the white coats is the secretary of the largest union of hospital doctors, Anaao Assomed, Pierino Di Silverio. "We have confirmation from political forces - explains Di Silverio to ANSA - that they are working on an amendment to the Milleproroghe to restore the penal shield, already activated during the Covid period, as we requested, and this is a positive sign. This is also thanks to the support of Mr Patriarca (FI), who has been sensitive to this problem from the outset. We immediately ask for the criminal shield because we are among the few countries in the world, along with Mexico and Poland, that have not yet implemented the decriminalization of the medical act; this is despite the fact that out of more than 35,000 court cases against doctors and health facilities filed every year in Italy, more than 95% end in nothing to proceed".
According to the union leader, "we are in an absurd situation in which, on the one hand, we have clogged courts and self-styled law firms that enrich themselves by pushing patients into litigation, and on the other, a medical profession often forced to years of vicissitudes, high costs and psychological damage and then, in almost all cases, to acquittal." In short, he says, "we need to arrive as soon as possible at a law on decriminalization that gives doctors the peace of mind of being able to operate without the sword of Damocles of legal disputes. In the meantime, the measure of the penal shield is indispensable."
The Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, stressed that "the time is ripe to take the path of decriminalization of the medical act, excluding wilful misconduct, while maintaining civil liability. It is an issue that, as a Government, we are dealing with and towards which Parliament has also shown sensitivity with the majority motion approved in the Chamber".
On the issue of pensions, on the other hand, the union's line is harsh: "The proposal to raise the voluntary retirement age to 72 years - says Di Silverio - had already been presented last year 6 times in six different decrees and then withdrawn; it was re-presented in the last budget law and withdrawn after a few hours, and now it is feared that it will be reintroduced in the Milleproroghe. The reason given is related to the shortage of staff, but in reality there would be very few doctors willing to take advantage of this rule, as shown by our surveys, and moreover they would not be useful anyway as they could not go to cover the shifts of the Emergency Room, the area most suffering. Therefore, the real reason for this measure - he underlines - is that they want to favor the usual barons and small lobbies, but health care cannot be reduced to lobbying divisions". For this reason, the union will continue the protest action that already today, "without answers from the government - concludes Di Silverio - provides for two new days of strike in February".
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