Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thursday
that spending on the national health service has reached record
levels under her government in a message for the national day of
healthcare professionals.
"We chose to allocate record funding to healthcare, bringing the
National Health Fund up to 136.5 billion euros in 2025 for per
capita expenditure of 2,317 euros," Meloni said.
"We have also made 1.3 billion euros available for investments
in hospitals with the cohesion agreements signed in recent years
with the regional governments and we have freed up a further 750
million euro to invest in healthcare with the revision of the
NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) .
"Italy can boast an infrastructure of excellence in the National
Health Service and health professions are the backbone of this
system, which it is our duty to protect, enhance and strengthen.
"These professions contribute to ensuring that our healthcare
system has the characteristics of universality, equality and
solidarity that the whole world envies us for".
Unions representing Italian doctors and nurses staged a
nationwide 24-hour strike in November to protest against the
government's 2025 budget law.
The opposition and some medical associations say that health
spending in relation to GDP is down and argue that the money
allowed is insufficient to meet the sector's needs.
Meloni has said opposition parties have been spreading
"falsehoods" about the government's health spending.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
