The Italian Health Service does not cover treatments for victims of serious burns. A resolution is ready to fill the gap. Giorgio Mulè: «Full and immediate protection».
Bureaucracy crushes every sense of humanity, in the Crans-Montana tragedy reduced today to a sad accounting affair. Switzerland continues to throw in our faces the bills to pay for the medical care provided to four Italians who were burned in the Constellation fire: 108,000 euros, for a few hours of hospitalization.
A figure destined to rise dramatically when the bulk of the Swiss invoices relating to the other hospitalizations arrive, invoices of which no one knows the amount. But there is already talk of monstrous figures, which the Swiss will cash in on, without discounts. A claim deemed “ignoble” by the prime minister Giorgia Meloniand “abominable” by the president of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana.
Italy will not pay a single euro to Switzerland, the Italian ambassador essentially says Gian Lorenzo Cornado. Which also rejects to the sender the sentences pronounced on Swiss TV by the director of the Federal Social Insurance Office, Doris Bianchi. Who, with the coldness of an accountant, invited Italy to present the bank statements of the Swiss patients treated in our territory, as they did with us. To understand the quantities, we asked the professor for help Baruffaldi Preisdirector of that pearl of excellence which is the Niguarda burns centre: «I believe that that money can be given to Switzerland», he tells us, «only after Switzerland has reimbursed us 1.8 million euros for the expenses relating to the two Swiss patients treated in Italy».
While waiting to get out of the diplomatic quagmire, the families affected by the Crans drama must overcome another obstacle, this time entirely Italian. Once the acute phase of hospitalization has passed, in fact, there is the problem of post-hospital care, which is not covered by the National Health Service. We are talking about complex and prolonged treatments: devices for scar control, devices, compression sheaths, joint braces, and then rehabilitation and psychological support. Problems that in the most serious cases must be managed for life. And the risk, this time, is that the families of the burnt children will have to dig into their wallets to get treatment.
The regulatory gap is not new, the Honorable Member has spoken about it at length Lucia Annibaliand the Crans-Montana shock brings the issue back to the fore. Burn disease, in fact, is not included in the list of essential levels of care, and therefore there are no uniform exemptions at national level for post-hospital treatment. Second Maria Tridicoat the forefront of the Burn Children’s Association, «the creams we use are considered “aesthetic”, and therefore at the sole expense of the citizen. And the therapies are considered like a stretch mark to be eliminated or a wrinkle to be smoothed out.”
The topic was also raised a few days ago by Eleonora Palmierithe 23-year-old veterinarian from Rimini who survived the fire: «I have to be careful not to sunbathe on my cheek, because burns are not recognized as a serious illness. The creams in particular are our responsibility and physiotherapy is never enough. All this weighs on the shoulders of those who have been injured.”
To take action and prevent the absurd from perpetuating, the vice-president of the Chamber Giorgio Mulètogether with the president of the Social Affairs commission Ugo Cappellaccihas filed a resolution committing the government to guarantee “totally free” expenses related to burns for the survivors of Crans-Montana. “These are important figures for the affected families, which can reach 2,000 euros a month,” he says Mule at the Truth«we want to ensure an “exceptional status” for the victims, which entails full and immediate protection, in consideration of the exceptional nature of the event. Furthermore, it is necessary to recognize burn disease as a chronic and rare pathology, to obtain exemption from expenses throughout Italy. The approval can be completed within a month.” “We need uniform rules throughout the territory,” he adds Cappellacci“treatment of this type cannot depend on the postal code.”
