"No" to rapid tests for the assessment of Covid-19 carried out by general practitioners and pediatricians. They say so snami (Autonomous National Union of Italian Doctors), and Come on (Italian doctors union). Both unions have expressed their opposition to the execution of tests in doctors' offices, defining the choice "pure madness", which would not guarantee the safety of citizens and operators.
Rapid tests: only Fimmg has given availability
The agreement for the execution of the rapid tests received the definitive go-ahead from the State Regions Conference. However, among the general practitioners' unions, only the Fimmg (Federation of general practitioners), has given availability, even if within it there is not full sharing by all members. On the contrary, Smi and Snami opposed this decision, reiterating their "no", already announced before the summer, when it was started to hypothesize their greater involvement in the containment of the epidemic. In practice, the green light for rapid tests in doctors' offices was only given to about 27 doctors.
Pina Onotri, SMI general secretary, rejects the agreement
On the agreement, signed last October 27 by the majority union Fimmg, with Sisac, the body responsible for bargaining for the public part, the general secretary of the Union of Italian doctors expressed himself, Pina Onotri, firmly opening it. "It is inadmissible - said Onotri - the extracted agreement for the execution of rapid tests for the coronavirus in the offices of family doctors. We are imposing. Doctors say no to this drawing! Our studies for the extra activity of carrying out rapid swabs cannot become a reason for contagion for our patients where we cannot keep paths separate ".
Rapid tests: the reasons for "no"
However, the union leader highlights the openness, on a voluntary basis, to swabs by doctors who have adequate space, but says she is ready to proclaim a state of agitation if the demands of the trade association are not listened to. “The category of doctors is tired - he explained -, it is making up for the shortcomings and deficiencies of the staff of the Public Health and Hygiene Offices. We are also following our patients with regard to chronic and oncological pathologies. Can pregnant colleagues and colleagues with cancer, heart disease and respiratory failure be forced to swab? We are ready to proclaim a state of agitation if we are not listened to ”.
Rapid tests: the opinion of the provincial president Snami, Francesco Pecora
Another voice that has expressed its total disagreement with the rapid tests is that of the provincial president Snami Catania, Francesco Pecora. “It is not possible - declared Pecora - that there is a constraint, for an innumerable series of reasons that we have clearly indicated. Our Snami proposal was the impossibility of performing swabs in family doctors' offices. Apart from inability, doctors dedicating themselves to such a particular and onerous task, would have less time to devote to the health care of their patients, especially the elderly, frail and suffering from chronic diseases, in a context in which the closure of part of outpatient activities in hospitals and in most of the specialist services today see family doctors engaged at three hundred and sixty degrees, also as an extraordinary commitment to overcome the shortcomings of the system. Let's not forget that we are in the midst of the flu vaccination campaign. Last but not least - he concluded - we are perennially put under pressure by patients, who having no reference points regarding the covid emergency, turn to us on purely bureaucratic-labor issues, as if we could replace other state bodies, see INPS , Inail, Department of Studies and Labor Consultants ".
