Healthcare service accessibility in Campania

Concerns have emerged regarding the accessibility and management of healthcare services in the Campania region, specifically concerning maternity care and social services in Salerno and surrounding areas.

In Salerno, the union Nursind has criticized the reorganization of maternity wards, arguing that declining birth rates should not justify weakening public hospitals or diverting resources to private accredited facilities. Additionally, administrative discrepancies were noted in Nocera Inferiore, where a domestic violence center remains missing from the national 1522 orientation tool despite being listed in regional registers.

Following a TAR Campania ruling that rejected appeals against a 2025 plan to close birth centers, regional councilor Gennaro Oliviero has called on the regional administration to protect maternity wards in Sessa Aurunca, Piedimonte Matese, and Sapri. Oliviero argued that these areas are designated as ‘disadvantaged zones’ under Regional Law no. 11 of July 22, 2025, due to geographic and connectivity challenges.

The controversy has intensified as the closures are based on national safety standards requiring a minimum of 500 births per year; for example, Sapri recorded only 188. In response, the Democratic Party (PD) group in the Regional Council submitted a motion to protect these services, arguing that access should not be determined solely by numerical thresholds in isolated areas. The PD noted that Campania’s recent return to full management autonomy after exiting the national healthcare recovery plan should allow for more flexible regional programming. Meanwhile, local communities and unions like UIL FP Salerno are demanding transparency regarding staffing and emergency protocols, as protests resume in the Golfo di Policastro area.