by InTrieste
Regional officials in Friuli Venezia Giulia on Monday, 2 March, reaffirmed their commitment to overhauling the region’s oncology network, as the retail cooperative Coop Alleanza 3.0 presented more than €24,000 to support cancer research and treatment at two leading medical institutions.
Speaking at a ceremony in Trieste, the governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Massimiliano Fedriga, described the cooperative’s sustained backing of the regional health system as evidence of its “deep connection” to the local community. The funds will benefit the Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano, widely known as the CRO of Aviano, and the IRCCS Burlo Garofolo in Trieste.
Mr. Fedriga said the regional administration has steadily increased investments in research, new technologies, prevention and public information campaigns. In oncology in particular, he emphasized a strategy aimed at improving services by concentrating highly specialized treatments in designated centers — a move he described as essential for long-term sustainability.
“Those in government must make choices that are sustainable over time,” he said, adding that such decisions should be guided by the broader public interest.
The donation, presented by Coop Alleanza 3.0’s president, Domenico Trombone, will support two distinct initiatives. At the Burlo Garofolo hospital, funds will be used to raise awareness among women about early symptoms of uterine and ovarian cancers. At the CRO in Aviano, the contribution will help expand personalized medicine programs designed to offer less invasive treatments and potentially faster recovery times for patients.
Regional Health Councillor Riccardo Riccardi also attended the event and used the occasion to defend the administration’s reform of the regional oncology network. The restructuring has prompted debate in some local communities concerned about the redistribution of services.
Mr. Riccardi said the reform is rooted in scientific evidence and reflects the evolving nature of cancer care, where many oncological conditions are increasingly managed as chronic diseases. He argued that the discussion should extend beyond surgical services to encompass the broader model of patient care, including organizational structures adapted to changing health needs.
He acknowledged that certain measures may prove unpopular in the short term but said they are intended to strengthen the system overall. Donations such as that of Coop Alleanza 3.0, he added, help reinforce centers of excellence like the CRO and the Burlo Garofolo, which serve as reference points for patients and families across the region.
Also present at the ceremony were Giuseppe Ricci, coordinator of the Burlo–Asugi Gynecologic Oncology Group, and Antonio Ditto, a specialist in gynecology and obstetrics at the CRO of Aviano.
