Eating disorders, the Fund (for now) is safe: refinanced with ten million euros

It can be said that the objective, at least in part, has been achieved. The Fund to combat eating disorders
if only for this year, will be refinanced with 10 million eurosas announced by the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci on 17 January in the Chamber in response to a parliamentary question, after the wave of controversy that was unleashed by the failure to extend the Fund in the latest budget law. The new resources will be allocated with an amendment to the Milleproroghe decree (which should be voted on next week by the Social Affairs commission and in early February by the Chamber of Deputies). But it's not enough.

Present disease

Now the real challenge recognize eating disorders as an existing disease in Lea (the essential levels of assistance that the National Health Service is required to provide to all citizens, ed), separated from the psychiatric one, with autonomous and stable financial coverage over timejust as was done for autism, he points out Laura Dalla Ragione, director of the Eating Disorders Services Network of the Umbria 1 Local Health Authority, leading the Working Group on Eating Disorders of the Ministry of Health. And this is what the Regions also strongly hope for, surprised to have somehow ended up in the crosshairs of the minister's speech.

25 million fund

In fact, in the Montecitorio Chamber, Schillaci pointed out that in October 2023, according to what emerged from the interim reports, the Regions and autonomous Provinces they committed 59% of the financing and spent 3% of the overall financing of 25 million euro fund, established in 2021 for the strengthening of the network of treatment services for eating disorders.

Final report

Raffaele Doninicouncilor for health policies of the Emilia-Romagna Region and coordinator of the Health commission of the Conference of the Regions, heard by the Courierclarifies those data better. The actual expenses for eating disorder clinics will be reported, by 31 October 2024, in the final report foreseen by the decree that established the ad hoc fund, not in the intermediate decree of October 2023 – he underlines -. If up to three months ago the resources committed (disbursed to the Regions in October 2022, ed) were just 59% certainly not due to lack of initiative, but due to the fact that to prepare hiring competitions are necessaryfor the completion of all the technical steps required by the regulations, at least six months.

Fixed term

A snapshot of the situation, therefore, must be taken later – reiterates Donini -. I'll also add that it is necessary to make the Fund structural, and therefore lastingbecause only in this way is it possible to provide continuity to the care service and employment permanent staff, avoiding paradoxical situations like those that are there for all to see. For example, the fact that few professionals participate in tenders for fixed-term positions, with an alarming detail: psychiatrists and specialists often do not apply for fixed-term competitionsthat is, for the duration of the Fund.

Lea update

In short, the message that reaches us is clear – insists the coordinator of the Regions -: the Fund must not only be confirmed, but made structural. In the next update of the LEAs, expected for the first half of 2024, Schillaci assured, they will meanwhile be introduced 16 new outpatient care services to be granted exemption, necessary and appropriate for the monitoring and prevention of complications and worsening of the bulimia and anorexiawhich added to the previous ones will become 32, the minister specified.

Demonstration

But, he insists From Reasonwith a specific permanent budget you can hire the indispensable specialists for train multidisciplinary teams throughout the entire process, from the therapeutic connection, in which the patient is motivated to care, treatment and rehabilitation. Demonstrations were organized in around thirty Italian citiespromoted by various organizations, including the University Union, the Middle School Students' Network and the Fiocchetto Lilla Foundation, to ask for structural investments and give dignity to the many children who suffer from eating disorders and they have the right to be reborn a second time.

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