Worldcrunch
Years of budget cuts and a sluggish economy have pushed Italy’s public healthcare system to the brink. As doctors and nurses flee the country in search of better pay, it is in communities along the border with Switzerland where the cracks are most visible.
MALANG — Mohammad Yazid, 58, is walking slowly toward a health clinic. His whole body is trembling and he says he has a severe headache. He hands over a bag full of plastic refuse along with his Garbage Clinical Insurance card to the clinic staff. “I bring one kilo of plastic and paper waste,” he explains. “I’m glad I can pay for my health care with this. I don’t have to pay anything.” Another patient, Siti Hasanah, says she suffers from a breathing problem. She too pays for her health care by bringing in waste. “I’m happy,” Hasanah says. “I […]