Invest in healthcare. This is the message from Roberto Speranza, Minister of Health from 2019 to 2022 during the Conte II and Draghi governments, who yesterday stopped in Sassari's Sala Angioy to present his book "Why We Will Heal," published by Solferino Editore. At the meeting promoted by the Democratic Party, the MP recalled how resources for the healthcare sector have been significantly reduced: "During the pandemic, we reached 7.4% of GDP, and now we risk falling below 6%. A very serious mistake." Sardinia, according to the Democratic Party representative, is also paying the price for this policy. "When the state is weaker and invests less," he declared, "those who pay the highest price are the regions that are already struggling the most. And Sardinia, also due to its conformation, with a population of one and a half million in a vast territory, faces a more complex challenge in maintaining its healthcare system."
For Speranza, the model must be one of a national health service that leaves no one behind, and where healthcare shouldn't be the preserve of only those with the resources to go private and able to purchase insurance. These guidelines were established at the beginning of his term, seven years ago, before COVID-19 arrived. "During that period," he says, "we chose to base ourselves on two fundamental ideas: the primacy of people's lives and trust in science." Speranza defends what he has done "head held high," even though he has since lived under police protection due to threats. "The important thing is to have a clear conscience," he emphasizes. "When you swear on the Constitution, you have the honor of leading the country, and ultimately you have to make decisions. I made them in the national interest, and I am convinced that we emerged from the pandemic thanks to those choices."
