Italian mayor declares getting sick 'illegal' amid healthcare crisis

An Italian village's mayor has issued an order banning people from getting sick amid the local healthcare crisis. 

Mayor Antonio Torchia of Belcastro, Calabria has proclaimed his people not to contract any dangerous sickness that could require emergency medical attention, as per UPI. 

Torchia also prohibited his people from engaging in activities that could lead to serious injuries and were advised to spend their time resting.

However, the mayor later explained that the order was supposed to be a "tongue-in-cheek" way to draw attention to the shortcomings and crisis of the local healthcare system.

The mayor further stated that the half of Belcastro's 1,200 residents are over the age of 65 and the nearest hospital to the village is about 30 miles away which is only accessible via a road with an 18 mph speed limit.

Frustratingly, the village does have an on-call doctor but the service is not available during nights, weekends or holidays. That means if anyone ends up requiring medical attention, they need to travel to a hospital that is 30 miles away.

Calabria is among the poorest regions in Italy and has seen the shutting of 18 hospitals since 2009. It was announced in 2022 that 497 doctors would be sent to the region over the course of three years to aid the people and the medical facilities.