Molise faces healthcare paradox with high funding but lowest doctor density

The 9th Gimbe Report on the Italian National Health Service (SSN) highlights significant systemic challenges, including a projected €32.3 billion funding gap between 2027 and 2029. The report notes that the SSN has faced €18.8 billion in ‘invisible cuts’ over the last four years, leading to deep territorial inequalities and a personnel crisis where a significant portion of doctors and nurses work outside the public system.

In the Molise region, a stark paradox has emerged. According to 2025 budget allocations, Molise receives the highest healthcare funding per capita in Italy at €2,319, exceeding the national average. However, the region simultaneously records the lowest number of employed doctors in the country, with only 1.35 physicians per 1,000 inhabitants. While nursing levels remain slightly above the national average, the region faces shortages in specific areas such as pediatricians.

To address local healthcare needs and reduce hospital dependency, Molise has inaugurated a new ‘Casa della Comunità’ in Montenero di Bisaccia. Funded by the PNRR, this initiative aims to strengthen territorial medicine and support fragile patients through proximity-based care.