Full support to our Italian colleagues

Italian young doctors gathered on Montecitorio square in Rome on Wednesday to defend their working conditions as residents.
They protested in the presence of journalists and politicians in front of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

Why are they protesting ?

In Italy, medical students have to pass a national exam in order to start their medical specialty.
Students who passed this competitive exam can start to work in teaching hospitals, although with no contract whatsoever : they start working relying on funding similar to a PhD, even though they are not students anymore but healthcare workers and are the moving force within hospitals.
The funds provided by the Italian government are insufficient for their education as residents, and do not match the standards of their European neighbours : as a matter of fact these funds are barely enough to fund half of the residents who successfully passed the national exam.

This lack of funding also has an impact on the Italian public health, as Italy is experiencing a lack of doctors with adequate training across the country : Italian young doctors are thus asking for reforms of the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale).

As the European Junior Doctors association, we fully support the requests of our Italian colleagues and ask for better funding of their education, which is crucial for meeting the healthcare needs of the population !

By investing in the education of highly trained healthcare personnel, we are investing in the health of the country as a whole !