The two main routes of healthcare in Italy are –

 

Aka ASL azienda sanitaria locale

 

 

The ambulances are run by charities e.g. Misericordia : run by volunteers and sometimes accompanied by a doctor. This organisation goes back hundreds of years. If you have seen the Film of the E.M. Forster novel 'Room with a view' the misericordia of the time make a brief appearance early in the film when they arrive in Piazza Signoria to cart off a local man who has just been stabbed in the guts. Fortunately they have moved on since then and make full use of the latest technology and the internal combustion engine.

Emergency Room is the Pronto Soccorso it is for the ‘walking wounded’ and other acute medical problems.

TRANSLATORS The Association of Hospital Volunteers can, if you're lucky provide someone to help you translate when you go to the hospital : Tel 055 2480383

They are situated in the two main Hospitals:

If possible try to bring as many documents as possible e.g. passport, permesso di soggiorno and medical insurance documents.

1) Santa Maria Nuova, Piazza Santa Maria Nuova (central Florence) and

2)Careggi (north Florence) .Ospedale Careggi (viale Morgagna 85, take the No.14 bus from Santa Maria Novella) is a large hospital with separate emergency rooms / Pronto Soccorso for each of the specialities:

Ear, Nose and Throat / otorinolaringoiatrico. 24 hours tel 055 4277989

Gynaecology and Obstetrics / ostetrico e ginecologico 24 hours 055 4277493

Surgery / chirurgico 24 hours 055 4277235

and another for General Medicine.

Eyes (ophthalmology) until 1400 (first building on right after the bar) after 1400 in the otorinolaringoiatria pronto soccorso Tel 055 4277260 day and 055 4277256 night

Orthopaedics / Trauma CTO Centro Traumatologico Ortopedico) 24 hours 055 4278077

Paediatrics is at a different site Anna Meyer Hosp: via L Giordano 13, 50132 Near Piazza Le Cure

055 5662490 (medical), 055 5662421 (surgical)

Family doctor is the Medico Generico (paediatricians look after the children)

 

 

Pharmacies farmacia – look for the green cross

 

Open 24 Hours Sempre aperto – 1)piazza Signoria, 2)opposite the Baptistery , 3) railway station (Santa Maria Novella)

  • Prescriptions are written on headed notepaper and hopefully can be kept if the instructions written in English.
  • Medicines are sold in packets and are dispensed immediately.
  • The prices are fixed by the State so there is no point in shopping around.
  • Tylenol (acetominophen) is the same drug as Tachipirina (paracetamol)
    •

     

    Culture: Italians love needles – if it’s not an injection it won’t work! (Fortunately it's not France, they believe if it isn't a suppository it won't work!!)
    Drug doses, especially antibiotics are often higher than it the States or UK.  
    Italians love drugs, note there is a farmacia everywhere you look and prescriptions from Italian doctors often look like shopping lists.
    Never put a thermometer in your mouth! (in Italy they always go in the armpit)
    Strep. throat is not a big issue in Europe, so don’t expect to be swabbed in walking through the door with a sore throat.  

     

     

     

    Clinical investigations (blood tests, X-rays, scans etc) can be performed at a nearby clinic.

     

     

    Many doctors to choose from. Florence has a glut and this keeps their fees quite low.

    A small minority speak English adequately for a serious consultation.

     

     

     

     

    Just a counter

    Please ignore.

    Click Here!