by InTrieste
At a national pulmonology conference in Trieste on Monday, 11 May, Massimiliano Fedriga, the governor of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, called for a structural overhaul of Italy’s health care system, arguing that an aging population and the rise of chronic illnesses demand a stronger focus on community-based care rather than hospital-centered treatment.
Speaking alongside Antonio Poggiana, the director general of the local health authority Asugi, and Marco Confalonieri, head of pulmonology at Cattinara Hospital, Mr. Fedriga said the current system remained too fragmented, particularly between family doctors and public health facilities. He emphasized the need to integrate new technologies and modernize processes that, he said, had remained unchanged for too long.
Mr. Fedriga also underscored the importance of concentrating the treatment of complex diseases in highly specialized medical centers. He described Trieste’s pulmonology department as a nationally recognized center of excellence, citing its integration of respiratory and cardiac care as a model that attracts patients from across Italy.
