THE mayor of a small village in Calabria, Italy, could have the answer to staffing and service shortages currently plaguing health systems throughout theworld.
It's so ingenious, yet so simple, it's a wonder no one has thought of it before.
In short, Antonio Torchia's scheme comprises a mayoral decree that no one is permitted to get sick or injured.
People living in Belcastro "are ...ordered to avoid contracting any illness that may require emergency medical assistance", the decree reportedly states.
Belcastro has a population of around 1,200, of whom half are aged over 65.
Meanwhile, the nearest A&E is over 45km away via a road with a 30km/h speed limit - and more of a risk, according to Torchia, than any illness.
While there is an on-call doctor's surgery in the village, it's only open sporadically and offers no cover on weekends, holidays or after hours.
The decree further orders residents "not to engage in behaviours that may be harmful and to avoid domestic accidents", and "not to leave the house too often, travel or practise sports, and to instead rest for the majority of the time".
Torchia said the move was "obviously a humorous provocation", but noted it was having more of an effect than the urgent notices he had sent to regional authorities to highlight the shortcomings of the local healthcare system.
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