Italian doctors face two‑year licensing delays

A letter published in an Italian newspaper highlights that doctors who earned their medical degrees and completed specialisation programmes at the University Cattolica “Nostra Signora del Buon Consiglio” in Tirana – an institution linked with Rome’s Tor Vergata – have been waiting more than two years for the Ministry of Health to recognise their qualifications. Without official recognition, these physicians cannot sit for public‑sector exams or practice in Italy’s hospitals, exacerbating existing staff shortages in ambulatory and hospital departments.

The writer notes that while some regions have recruited doctors from abroad (e.g., Cuba for Calabria), Italian graduates remain blocked by administrative delays. Repeated attempts to contact the Ministry and the health sub‑secretary, Marcello Gemmato, have gone unanswered. The letter calls for the authorities to provide clear information on the status of these applications and to accelerate the credential‑recognition process.