Il Servizio Sanitario Nazionale: una conquista sociale da difendere

The 1970s in Italy were not only the decade of the "Years of Lead," but also an extraordinary era of social reform: from the Workers' Statute to Law 194, and finally the Basaglia Law. This culminated in 1978 with the creation of the National Health Service (SSN), which translated Article 32 of the Constitution into reality, making healthcare a universal right. In this video, hosted by the Interdepartmental Study Center for Territory, Development, and Environment at the Benedictine Monastery, Professor Chiara Giorgi (Sapienza University of Rome), author of the book "History of Healthcare in Italy from the Postwar Period to Today" (Laterza), guides us through a profound reflection: The pillars of the NHS: Universality (care for all human beings, not just citizens), prevention, and financing through progressive taxation. The crisis and reforms: From the corporatization of the 1990s to the spending caps of 2005, to the origins of long waiting lists and the North-South divide. The future of healthcare: The risk of a two-tier system and the urgency of defending public healthcare from privatization. As the pandemic has taught us, healthcare is either a right guaranteed to all, or it becomes a privilege. Because healthcare is a common good, not a commodity.