Is health care good in Italy?

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Pinguino

Don't worry; foreign people who legally reside in Italy do have the same rights as Italian citizens (and "health" is declared a Right in the Constitution).
I also also strongly agree about with Peter about what Smiley says... some is questionable, the majority just not true.
In Italy you can easily find reports on the media about "malasanitÃ ", which is what doesn't work in health system, unfortunate accident that did happen.
Although is true no bad things should happen, it's even more true the media report what's an "anomaly" (the real news is the man who bite the dog...), so accidents are perceived as "normality", even if they actually aren't (and that's nothing new :).
So, nobody an no system is perfect, worldwide, and when something go awry inquiry must be done and if somebody is responsible for, there must be aftermath.
But overall health system in Italy is one of the top rated in the world

"The World Health Organization has carried out the first ever analysis of the world's health systems. Using five performance indicators to measure health systems in 191 member states, it finds that France provides the best overall health care followed among major countries by Italy, Spain, Oman, Austria and Japan."

http://www.who.int/whr/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/index.html

Also:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2000/06/21/health.2.t_0.php
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/484/On_health_systems.html

I personally had my mother in the hospital four or five times during the years for various reasons (a couple were seriuos), my grandmother as well, times ago.
Never had any kind of problem and always find both the nurses and the doctors very friendly.

The hospital do provide the medicine you need and relatives or professionals *can* give *further* assistance if they want. But is not true you MUST.

Medical prescriptions are mandatory for some medicines, prescription then are needed *for a reason*! I had cough several times in my life; no prescription were needed for syrup :)

Edit

As for price of medicine (meaning the ones for self-medication, like analgesic, since lifesavings drugs (but not only: my mom *have* to use Aulin and she don't have to pay for them) are fully covered by health care) it vary a lot according to the brand...
You can check this site http://www.generici.com/Motore/Default.asp for a price comparison; for instance, selecting NIMESULIDE as active principles you find out that Aulin is not the cheaper one (Aulin price start from 1,48 â‚¬ per gram, while the cheaper are from 0,87 Euro per gram)

lara

Private care is very good and not to expensive. But in Bologna Milano Pavia e Roma there are good hospital for heart condition.

Marty

hi!!!don t worry...you should go near an hospital...is better!!
but where do you want to go?
because in the south of Italy hospitals are enough dirty...have a good times!!
yours sincerely :) from Italy

generalteh

there are pharmacy's on every corner in most cities. italians have a state health care system. but as for foreigners they use the private clinics and it costs money. but their healthcare system is a good system.

obsessive bout' grades

You should go to an suburban, or a sub-suburban area in Italy where there's alot of school's, hospitals, and businesses.

SuorUgo

Health care is dramatically different according location. Health care are organised mostly on regonal basis.

In previous answers I noticed some misunderstanding about two different issue:
- nice and beautiful facilites
- health care level
Health care is provided both by private and public facilities (free or almost free care is provided also by private owned facilities): private facilities are very interested in providing you good accomodation and fancy and elegant furniture. But this doesn't mean a good level in health care.
In Italy public/city Hospital usally have not so beautiful building (they aren't as interessed in luring clients as private facilites do), but medical gear/instruments and medical skills are high.

If you want a beautiful room, you can pay for a private clinic. But in public hospital usually you will have the best care: and in event of a life threatening sickness/trauma, nobody drive you away just because you can't pay for

Peter

Pretty good.
smilies1998 is a very ignorant person. Did you ever travel to Italy once in your life, Smilies 1998? It s full of specialists.

â€ Vampireâ€

I'm italian here health care is good you won't have any problems

Barbara D

Depends whether you will be in the North or South. Health care is dramatically different. I live in Italy. Everyday we hear about another disaster involving health professionals. My one experience with the local hospital in Fondi,my nearest biggest city almost killed me. I had a ovarian cyst that I wasn't aware of,it ruptured.I was rushed to emergency where the doctor told me to stop vomiting so he could examine me! He than told my husband I was suffering from food poisoning,take me home. My husband refused,the police were called and finally someone more competent realized I was not long for this world. I was stuck in a bed with anti-pain meds and left there for seven hours before they realized they had to open me up. Recuperating, I was asked by a nurse to get up so they could take one of my sheets to make up another bed....it goes on and on.Bear in mind this is the only hospital that accepts gynecological patients. There it is, you decide.

erlampo

If you are in Italy as legal residents, you will be covered by health care. Medications of all kinds are readily available (try Aulin for severe headaches; great stuff), although 20 aspirin tablets will cost more than a bottle of 200 in the US. I agree with the above answerer about hospitals: the ones I've seen were pretty scary, like the worst inner-city public hospitals in the US. And doctors' offices often don't have receptionists and bear no resemblance to the clean, bright doctors' offices we're used to in North America.

smilies1998

I would never go to an Italian Hospital here. I am an American here and i have always told my husband that if I am sick he better get me to the military hospital or let me die. They are very old and dirty. They are totally different then in the states. Your family takes care of you in the hospital not the nurses. You need to bring everything to the hospital when you go to even the meds and your family has to go to the pharmacy and pick them up and bring them to you. You can not get any med unless you have a prescription even cough syrup. For the Italian its a nationwide heath system I dont know how it would work for you if I go out in down I have to pay for it and then get take it up with the insurance company.

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