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EditorialGenina Iacobone |
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Imitations will always lack the quality of the original. Following elections the United States' Constitutional Law gives the elected president the authority to assign his trusted people to leading positions to form a staff that clearly numbers skilled managers and expert professionals who will implement the government's political specifications in various sectors. This rotation is called 'Spool System'. In Italy the Spool System is applied according to the card game rule "the Ace wins all". Both before and after elections, wherever there is a chair, whether it is for an errand boy or a general manager, the person occupying it will suffer the tension and uncertainty resulting from the awareness that he must leave his place to newcomers, to people in the winner's coalition who must be "given jobs". The following is what occurs in the Health sector. Let us for example consider the Lazio region where Local Health Administration directors, general managers of hospital units, directors of departments and so on have been replaced straight away in record time and where programmes that were previously approved by the former administration have been blocked for the only too obvious purpose of making room for aspirants already appointed by the new president. The President of the Lazio Regional Administration, former defender of society's rights Marrazzo, who owes his fame to the television programme Mi manda Rai 3, is the typical example of how one may not practice what he preaches. In the NHS the Spool System is also applied to highly specialised posts, which envisage assignments through competitive examinations. Hence a Spool System designed to find jobs for friends, wife, children, and why not the lover? Today the latter is called 'partner', but we prefer the term 'lover' because it calls to mind feelings, even if they are outside the rules, while the term 'partner' instead recalls memories of outings, childhood games and similar experiences… that are not always pleasant for all. However it requires a special talent to apply the Italian Spool System and a "school of thought", otherwise it is impossible to understand why Francesco Storace, the current Minister of Health, has never succeeded in replacing at least one commissioner in Pavia! The real problem is: what will be the cost of all this in economic terms? How much will such a shameless politicisation of the National Health Service cost the Italians' health? The best go abroad and those who cannot do so live a life of frustration void of all enthusiasm,… scraping a living while intellectual stimulus is crushed by the uncertainty of a future - Waiting for Godot - one who will change the written rules once again and especially apply them as he wishes to suit his interests and to further his political career. Funds allocated for research will not suffice to compensate for the loss of so much potential and the topic of NHS faults will be discussed more and more often. And as Cronin wrote: The Stars Look Down Genina Iacobone |