To protest against the measures envisaged by the 2007 Budget Law, "the companies associated with Assobiomedica have also decided to cut the costs of promotion and sponsorship of scientific and training activities for the medical profession". This was reported by the association of Italian companies active in the sector of biomedical technologies and equipment, in vitro diagnostics and also telemedicine. The measure, which follows the one already announced by Farmindustria, was taken "for two reasons - explains a press release from Assobiomedica, released on the occasion of a round table organized by 'Il Sole 24 Ore' at the end of the First 'E-Health Forum' underway at the Palazzo delle Stelline in Milan – Firstly because these investments would be inconsistent with a Government approach that shows little attention to the quality of medical services, and secondly to try to contain the economic and employment damage that the Finance Act causes to companies in the sector ”. At the Milanese conference, the vice president of Assobiomedica Ugo Ortelli also declared that the Budget law, "through the imposition of purchases at the lowest price, puts the quality of health services at risk". Assobiomedica does not like the 2007 budget because “it provides for a mechanism that aims at the standardization and centralization of the purchases of medical and diagnostic devices. The lowest price becomes the only criterion of choice - underlined Ortelli - while no value is recognized to the quality, innovation, efficiency and effectiveness of technologies that are fundamental for ensuring health services such as prostheses and medical instruments that contribute to improving, and often saving , the lives of patients,” he specified. "The strategy of these cuts is completely wrong - he pressed - Investments are cut on the smallest part, but certainly very important and strategic for the quality and efficiency of services, while, as also stated by the Court of Auditors, there is no we intervene on the most relevant and least efficient part of the health system, the structural costs. In fact, it should be remembered that the entire medical and diagnostic device sector has a value of less than 5% of health expenditure”. From Doctornews 11-29-06
