In Italy, seven physicians quit their hospital jobs on average every day — and the majority of those departing work in emergency rooms.
Difficult working conditions, poor organisation, long hours, and low pay is a mix of factors overshadowing the attraction for this area of medicine, much sought after in the past by young doctors seeking an exciting, fast-paced role with unique learning opportunities.
“This year, like the last year, saw almost 50% of positions in emergency medicine remain vacant, but many of those who fill these positions eventually decide to leave. In these conditions, the ER physicians will soon be a rare commodity”, Pierino Di Silverio, National Secretary of the doctors’ union ANAAO, told Euronews.
Angela Mauro is a paediatrician who, after four years of work in an emergency room in Naples, decided to move to Milan and to a different hospital unit.
“Since I left the emergency room, my quality of life and work changed completely, in terms of stress and satisfaction,” Mauro told Euronews.
“Now, I can actually study my patients, and that means treating and curing them in the best possible way: this is satisfying for physicians.”
Watch Euronews’ video above to find out more.