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The Italian government has announced that Eugenio Gaudio, a doctor and former rector of the Sapienza University of Rome, will be the new health commissioner in Calabria. The government has also announced a role in Calabria for Gino Strada, doctor and founder of the well-known health NGO Emergency, which in recent days the 5 Star Movement had proposed as commissioner: following the government’s statement, Strada confirmed his availability but specified that “we still have to define what and in what terms”, and that so far “there is no” agreement to work together with Gaudio. The last two health commissioners in Calabria, Saverio Cotticelli and Giuseppe Zuccatelli, have resigned in recent weeks after as many cases in the media.
– Read also: Where does the health disaster in Calabria come from?
The regional health department has been commissioned since 2009 due to huge debt and deep infiltration by organized crime. Meanwhile, the region has managed to re-enter its debts but has effectively dismantled its health system, by far the worst of the Italian regions: last week it was included in the “red zones” decided by the government to contain the coronavirus pandemic. although it had insignificant numbers compared to other Italian regions. However, the regional health system has been collapsing for several weeks.
Gaudio is 64 years old and was born in Cosenza, Calabria. In his career he has no experience in the management of a healthcare company, and has worked mainly in the academic field: after years of teaching in Anatomy –among other things he was also dean of the Faculty of Medicine of L’Aquila– he was appointed rector of the Sapienza in 2014, and his term ended a few days ago.
It is not yet clear what the role of Gino Strada will be. In a note from the Prime Minister sent to the newspapers in the afternoon we read that “Strada has confirmed his willingness to join the team, including with a special delegation.” Republic writes that in Strada he was able to “manage the hospital and territorial network” involved in the management of the pandemic. He commented on the news on Facebook.
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