Lombardy healthcare faces service changes and staffing shortages

Healthcare services in the Lombardy region are facing significant restructuring and staffing challenges. In Somma Lombardo, the closure of the first intervention unit and its replacement with a medical clinic at the Casa di Comunità has drawn criticism from local residents. The Comitato Pro Ospedale reports that the change has increased bureaucratic hurdles for patients, such as requiring separate payments and appointments for diagnostic imaging that were previously handled immediately during emergencies.

On a broader scale, the Lombardy Region has authorized a tender process for approximately 19 ASSTs to outsource the management of community hospitals to private entities. This move is driven by a shortage of nursing staff within the public sector. While regional officials suggest this is a necessary step to meet PNRR deadlines and activate delayed territorial services, critics and regional councilors have raised concerns regarding the long-term goal of maintaining a fully public healthcare system and the need for strict oversight of external personnel.