Bologna doctors launch free polyclinic for low‑income patients

Ten retired senior physicians from Bologna, including neurologist Pietro Cortelli, urologist Eugenio Brunocilla and cardio‑surgeon Gaetano Gargiulo, founded the non‑profit association “Buoni Dottori”. The group secured a six‑year lease of a former bank building on Via Trauzzi 15 a/b in the Pilastro district, with the aid of the Bologna municipal council and Acer Bologna. The association invested €176,000 to refurbish the premises and now offers free specialist consultations, diagnostics and preventive care to residents who cannot afford private or public health services.

The initiative responds to national data indicating that around four million Italians forgo medical examinations and treatments because of cost. Buoni Dottori intends to complement, not replace, the National Health Service, working together with municipal social services and local third‑sector organisations to reach the most vulnerable populations in Bologna.