Minori in viaggio per farsi curare

Abstract

Equitable access to healthcare is crucial to ensure the fundamental human right to health for all, also for children. However, the possibility to use in appropriate manner medical services (e.g. to access hospital) differs substantially across Italian regions. It is a situa- tion, source of inequality, that has been known for some time and has not found a solu- tion to date. In 2020, the pandemic year, 74.071 hospital admissions occurred for chil- dren and adolescents residing in regions other than that of hospitalization (14.3% of to- tal hospitalizations outside the region of residence). The national flight index was 8.7 ranging from 3.4 of Lazio to 43.4 of Molise. 54.8% of out-region hospitalizations are for patients traveling from one of the regions bordering their residence, in particular to be born. The starting regions with the highest mobility rate and long distance hospitalisation were Calabria, Sardinia, and Sicily with a flight index of 29.0, 11.8 and 11.5 for a to- tal of 11,745 hospitalizations. The main causes of hospitalization in a region far from their own are attributable to psychiatric disorders (43.3% of its Major Diagnostic Cate- gory), epilepsy and cephalalgy care (24.3%), and surgery for the replacement of major joints or reimplantation of the lower limbs with (18.5%). The phenomenon of medical mi- gration undermines the principles of universality, equality and fairness and it is therefore necessary to intervene to guarantee an unfulfilled right in its entirety. Centers of excellen- ce for pediatric care and clinical research are also needed in the southern regions.