Village 'bans' residents from becoming ill as nearest A&E is nearly 30 miles away

The impoverished village grapples with limited healthcare access and an ageing population - half of Belcastro's residents are over 65 years old.

Belcastro's nearest A&E department is more than 28 miles away, and it takes more than three quarters of an hour to reach.

Travel time between Belcastro and the nearest A&E department in Catanzaro stands at more than three quarters of an hour

GOOGLE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The 1,200 inhabitants of Belcastro have been ordered to 'avoid contracting any illness that may require emergency medical assistance'

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

"Let them come and live in Belcastro for a week, I want to know if they feel safe," Torchia said.

The mayor revealed he had been waiting since June for health services in Belcastro itself, describing them as a constitutional right for its citizens.

And his decree has generated widespread media coverage - as well as an outcry over healthcare funding in Italy.

Political mismanagement and mafia interference have devastated Calabria's healthcare system, which has been under special administration from the central government for nearly 15 years.

Eighteen hospitals in the region have closed since 2009.

Almost half of Calabria's two million residents now seek medical treatment outside the region, and in response to the crisis, Cuba sent 497 doctors to work in various medical facilities over three years from 2022.

Regional governor Roberto Occhiuto said last year these Cuban doctors had "saved" Calabria's hospitals.

Local residents told media that Mayor Torchia had "done the right thing in shining a light on the issue."

"He has used a provocative decree to attract attention on a serious problem," one said.