1 in 10 Italians relinquish medical care due to cost, wait

(ANSA) - Rome, February 23 - Nearly one in ten Italians go without medical treatment for economic reasons or due to the long wait, the 2015 report from the Civic observatory on federalism in health care produced by Cittadinanza attiva and the Tribunal for patients' rights said Tuesday.
    Over 58% of Italians among the 26,000 who turned to the tribunal in 2015 had difficulty accessing medical services beacuse of long waiting lists and 31% due to the prescription charge. Most complaints concerning waiting time were registered in Calabria, Friuli, Liguria, Marche, Sicily and Veneto.
    In southern regions 11.2% of Italians relinquish medical treatment or examination for economic reasons or due to the wait.
    In the centre the percentage fell to 7.4 while in the north it was 4.1.