Healthcare challenges emerge in Piedmont and Sicily

In Piedmont, regional councilor Claudio Sacchetto has proposed an operational task force to address a shortage of general practitioners in the Po, Bronda, and Infernotto valleys. The initiative, requested following an appeal from local mayors, aims to foster collaboration between the Piedmont Region, ASL CN1, and municipal administrations to strengthen territorial medicine. The regional government is expected to respond to this proposal during the council session on November 10.

In Sicily, a 160 million euro extraordinary plan funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) aims to redesign territorial healthcare through new community houses and hospitals. However, the Order of Biologists of Sicily has raised concerns that biologists are being excluded from the staffing requirements for these new structures. The Order is calling on regional institutions to include the profession in upcoming recruitment calls, arguing that their expertise in genetics and prevention is essential for local public health.