There are almost 100 thousand, counting only the over 55 population, the Sardinians who in 2023 had to give up healthcare services despite needing them.

Expenses cut

The wait of months and months for any service, and the inability to pay, too often translates into giving up treatment, a phenomenon that has seen Sardinia black among the regions for years now. If in Italy (Istat data) the average is 11.7%, on the island the dropout rate stands at 13.7%. An army to which to add the enormous portion of the population who - to finance paid care - is forced to cut other expenses, perhaps their children's gym or visits to the dentist.

Insufficient income

"It is the drama that especially affects the elderly," says Alberto Farina, regional secretary of the CISL pensioners' federation. «In Sardinia, those over 65, more than their peers in other regions, are not in a position to be able to pay for visits and diagnostic tests».

All the details in Piera Serusi's article on L'Unione Sarda on newsstands and in the digital edition

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