Italian Mayor Bans People From Falling Sick

• Mayor of Belcastro issues decree prohibiting illness to highlight healthcare gaps.
• Town struggles with inadequate healthcare access, especially for elderly residents.
• Decree aimed at pressuring regional authorities to improve healthcare services.

The mayor of Belcastro, a small town in southern Italy, has issued an unconventional decree: “Getting sick is prohibited.”

Mayor Antonio Torchia’s order instructs residents to avoid becoming ill or needing medical attention, especially in emergencies.

The unusual proclamation, which Torchia acknowledged with some irony, aims to draw attention to the town’s lack of access to healthcare.

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With around 1,300 residents, half of whom are elderly, Belcastro’s health centre frequently closes, and there are no on-call doctors available on weekends or after hours.

The nearest emergency room is 45 kilometres away in Catanzaro. Torchia explained that the town’s deteriorating healthcare services prompted him to issue the decree as an urgent plea for attention.

“This is not just a provocation,” Torchia emphasized. “It is a cry for help, a way to shine a spotlight on an unacceptable situation.”

In his decree, Torchia advised residents to avoid harmful activities, such as sports or frequent travel, and suggested they rest most of the time to stay healthy.

It remains unclear how, or if, the decree will be enforced. However, the mayor has stated that it will remain in effect until the town’s health centre operates regularly.

“Come and live a week in our small village and try to feel safe knowing that in the event of a health emergency the only hope is to get to Catanzaro in time,” he said while speaking to local media. “Try it and then tell me if this situation seems acceptable to you.”

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The sparsely populated Calabria region is one of Italy’s poorest and has been susceptible to desertification and brain drain, with many young people moving out of rural communities to live in cities.

Over 75% of Calabria towns – roughly 320 – currently had fewer than 5,000 residents in 2021, sparking fears that some communities could die out completely without regeneration. Some towns have even started offering to pay people to live there in an effort to reverse their population decline.

Belcastro’s mayor knows that many of the towns face similar healthcare access issues.

“I am a drop in the ocean,” Torchia told local broadcaster LaC News24. “The province of Catanzaro has 80 municipalities, and I believe that most of them suffer from the same problems.”

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