Italy's Health Minister Promises To Cut Waiting Lists By Supporting Family-Doctor Clinics

Italy's Health Minister Promises to Cut Waiting Lists by Supporting Family-Doctor Clinics

The Italian government will attempt to decrease the number of people on the health care system's waiting lists by providing additional support to family-doctor clinics, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Thursday, as the country prepares to scrap additional fees for public health services

ROME (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st November, 2019) The Italian government will attempt to decrease the number of people on the health care system's waiting lists by providing additional support to family-doctor clinics, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Thursday, as the country prepares to scrap additional fees for public health services.

"Funds to take clinical diagnostics equipment into family-doctor clinics will improve the situation, by making it possible to do small ultrasound scans and checks on the respiratory system," the minister said at a forum, organized by Italy's Ansa news agency.

Italy has the National Health Service, established in 1978, which provides medical services for free or for a reasonably low cost. In 2012, Italy cut its health care budget, introducing supertickets as a form of cost-sharing to cover the gap created by the austerity measures. In October of this year, the health minister promised that the measure would be abolished as of September 2020.