Over 1600 professionals, 24 meetings, 10 symposia and 4 pre-congress courses, these are the rapidly growing numbers of the National Congress of Amcli Ets - Association of Italian Clinical Microbiologists, now in its 51st edition and scheduled from yesterday 8th March until the 11th at the Palacongressi of Rimini.
On the inaugural day of the Amcli Ets event, which underlines the commitment of clinical microbiologists for more effective healthcare and at the service of citizens, good wishes for the congress were received from the Holy Father, from President Sergio Mattarella and applause for the important contribution to the fight against the pandemic by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in a message addressed to President Pierangelo Clerici and the congress participants.
As in past years, the Association also donated 10 thousand euros to the Opera Pia Sant'Antonio as a contribution to support the meritorious assistance that the structure has been providing for many years to the city's poor families.
The Rimini event is an opportunity to delve deeper into the great challenges affecting Italian healthcare such as the prevention of upcoming threats caused by viral infections, the management of antibiotic resistance, innovation in the diagnosis and monitoring of infections in transplant patients also in light of new therapeutic possibilities, on updates in the diagnosis and prognosis of sexually transmitted infections and, finally, on current events on mycobacteria and malaria.
Without forgetting the issues relating to the organization of services on a territorial basis and the impact that technological innovation on the one hand and Artificial Intelligence on the other will bring to the microbiologist profession.
This year too, following the previous edition, 295 specialists from all over Italy have registered, of which 135 were hosted by Amcli.
The number of posters published is also very high, this year 456, 30% more than the previous year.
In his speech, President Pierangelo Clerici recalled how "over the last year, 26 diagnostic paths have been completely revised, of which 4 are completely new, and 5 new guidelines of an operational and management nature have been published". "We must fight tirelessly , for our part, antimicrobial resistance - he specified -, and for this reason, together with other scientific societies, we have signed a document presented to the Prime Minister so that during the Italian Presidency of the G7, now underway, it is placed as a priority health problem public in the confrontation between governments".
Strong criticism has been expressed regarding the opening of POCT diagnostics to pharmacies.
"The presentation of a simplification decree is being envisaged which gives pharmacies the possibility of carrying out laboratory tests - said Clerici - we have nothing against pharmacists and against the possibility of pharmacies to help citizens carry out tests, but the governance of that process must be our responsibility."
According to President Clerici, microbiologists must acquire the instrument, train the staff and carry out the checks, validations and reports.
"The pharmacy can do it, but the pharmacist can't do it."
During his speech at the Congress Clerici strongly reiterated that "with the Services pharmacy the citizen will find a very respectable professional, but not with adequate training, who will be able to carry out laboratory tests, because the entire process must be the responsibility of a director of a clinical laboratory and this must also apply to what will happen in homes and community hospitals, for over nine tenths of Italy pure empty boxes served solely to drain Pnrr resources".