Migrant care in Italy

An interesting set of short articles in a recent edition of The Lancet discuss the challenges to those who provide care to migrant workers in Italy.

Interestingly, those who are illegal migrant workers are afforded free health care under the Italian Constituation.
Now, "An amendment to the law concerning
public order measures, approved
on May 14, 2009, by the Chamber
of Deputies and now to be approved
by the Senate, introduces thecrime of illegal immigration, and
consequently obliges by law all civil
servants to report undocumented
migrants. Public health workers
are civil servants. Notwithstanding
previous legislation forbidding them
to report undocumented migrants,
this new legislation risks creating
fear among migrants, preventing
them from attending health facilities
and exposing both migrants and the
whole community to higher health
hazards."

So this would create a 'right' to health-care but no access.


Here is a link sent by one of our students with some very compelling photos:
Multimedia from NYTimes.com:

A Powerful Truth


Finally, from the Kaiser Foundation, here are a number of online modules with some information related to health policy.