Jubilee health works almost ready, says Lazio governor

(ANSA) - Rome, November 24 - Lazio Governor Nicola Zingaretti said Tuesday that the work on Rome's health facilities in view of the upcoming Jubilee will all be ready by December 4, four days before the start of the Holy Year.
    Zingaretti said the 84-million-euro plan - 64 million of which came from central government with the region stumping up the rest - featured the renovation of 12 hospital emergency rooms. The plan also includes the setting up of 10 special medical units to treat pilgrims and tourists during the Jubilee's peak periods. "Tomorrow we'll open the emergency room at Sant'Andrea (hospital)," Zingaretti told the Lazio regional assembly.
    "We'll finish the inaugurations on December 4 with those at San Filippo Neri and Gemelli hospitals. "The interventions will benefit the city of Rome afterwards.
    "We have not just given the walls of the emergency rooms a lick of paint, we have revolutionized their organization, the technology at their disposal, the systems they have, the treatment priority codes and the services for relatives in the waiting room". He added that the region had launched selection procedures to hire 867 new health-care personnel and buy 86 new ambulances.
    "The last renewal of the fleet of emergency vehicles dates back to 10 years ago and many ambulances in Lazio have more than 400,000 kilometres on the road," Zingaretti said.