A mayor in Italy recently issued a rather unusual ordinance: to prohibit its inhabitants from getting seriously ill. This was done by Antonio Torchia, the mayor of Belcastro, in the south of that country, who, in an ironic manner, made this call for a specific purpose.
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The sarcastic measure urges residents to "avoid contracting any illness or condition that requires medical intervention" and not to take risks with travel or sports. According to Torchia, the municipality's health clinic is almost never open at night or on holidays, and the nearest hospital, located in Catanzaro, is about 45 kilometers away.
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What was the reason for the mayor of Belcastro to prohibit his residents from getting sick?
With this action, Torchia seeks to raise awareness about the precarious health situation in his locality, where emergency care is limited and the population, mostly elderly, faces serious health challenges.
Faced with the lack of essential services, the mayor points out that "this unacceptable situation" endangers the residents, 50% of whom are over 65 years old.
Belcastro is located in the southern area of Calabria, a region that is considered one of the poorest in Italy. According to the latest government data, there are around 1,700 family doctors for almost two million people. This chronic shortage causes one in five Calabrians to travel to other parts of the country to receive treatment.
Regional authorities have tried to alleviate the problem by hiring hundreds of Cuban doctors since 2022, although researchers estimate that about 2,500 additional professionals would be needed to provide adequate service.
“This is not just a provocation,” Torchia declared to Italian media, while emphasizing that his ordinance aims to draw the government’s attention to the urgency of strengthening healthcare assistance. He added that the lack of personnel and resources threatens the survival of towns like Belcastro, whose inhabitants could be forced to leave in search of better medical conditions.”