The 83rd congress of the Italian Federation of General Practitioners (FIMMG), currently underway in Villasimius, in the province of Cagliari, opened in memory of Maddalena Carta , a family doctor from Dorgali , Sardinia, who died at the age of 38 from a sudden illness caused by overwork.
The Mario Boni Award, given to doctors who have distinguished themselves through merit, courage, dedication, and sacrifice in their work, was presented this morning to the young doctor's father and brother . The FIMMG's request is now to recognize the merit of the young doctor who passed away . "I will not rest," stated national secretary Silvestro Scotti, "until this country recognizes the value of a doctor like Maddalena Carta. I will pursue all political and institutional avenues. We appeal to our President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to whom we ask from this Congress to recognize Maddalena's merit and, with it, to recognize the value of the psychosocial and health profession—that of family doctors—who too often continue to pay a high price."
The award was given to the doctor for "embodying, until her last moment, the truest spirit of general practice. With her, the lighthouse that illuminated the entire community that relied on her goes out. A lighthouse goes out," the award citation emphasizes, "because she decided not to spare herself in the face of the population's healthcare needs in a region marked by dramatic shortages, with thousands of citizens without a primary care physician. A lighthouse goes out despite being aware of her own clinical condition." And again: "Her choice not to reduce intensity, not to spare energy, in a context where she was effectively the only stable presence for a catchment area of approximately 5,000 patients, makes clear to all of us how pure that light was. Hers is the face of general practice that stands in contrast to the specious narrative that seeks to portray the family doctor as a slacker. Maddalena Carta's passing challenges us and obliges us to protect those who provide care, but also to continue working tirelessly to restore dignity and tools to those on the front lines of the system, ensuring that family medicine is safe and attractive.
