Never finished hospitals, 'heaps of prescriptions', unnecessary hospitalizations and tests, little use of technology, redundant medical staff and insufficient paramedics. These are some of the factors which led, during 2005, to a wasting healthcare resources for a total of 17 billion and 400 million euros. And this would therefore be the saving if the management of health care were based on greater rationality and constantly monitored. This is what emerges from the survey '100 cases of waste in healthcare conducted by Confesercenti.
Therefore, 'under accusation' are inappropriate therapies, avoidable surgical interventions, but also too many sacrificed intelligences. This is the reason why health care costs more and more and spending becomes unsustainable. “Up to the point – said the president of Confesercenti Marco Venturi – of having to tax the six Regions that have exceeded the spending ceiling through Irap. An absurd move, because companies will be penalized in the first place, which will certainly not help the country to grow". The numbers speak for themselves "the National Health Fund - recalls Venturi - increased from about 48 billion euros in 1995 to about 90 billion euros in 2005, with a simultaneous growth also in the direct expenditure that citizens have to bear, which went from 10 to 25 billion euros in the same period. An annual growth rate well above that planned, which has not corresponded to the improvement in performance". In the face of such an inappropriate use of resources in healthcare, according to the president of Confesercenti “we need to decide whether to increase taxation or reduce spending. But the national health service must guarantee services to everyone and, before implementing tax measures, it is possible to act by eliminating waste". And, in general, even some all-Italian 'trends' mean that waste increases the increase in caesarean sections, for which - as stated in the investigation report - the Ministry of Health pays about a thousand euros more than natural ones; the phenomenon of exorbitant and above all unbalanced costs between Regions, of beds; finally, waiting lists and the waste of medicines.
