Residents of Italian Town Officially Banned From Getting Sick

Residents of a small town of Belcastro in southern Italy have been banned from getting ill. According to the mayor, this restriction is intended to draw attention to medical problems, CNN reports.

The order issued by Mayor Antonio Torchia instructs people to ‘avoid contracting any disease that requires medical attention, especially emergency care.’

Belcastro is home to about 1,300 people, half of whom are elderly. There is a medical centre in the town, but it is often closed even during business hours. Doctors on call are not available on weekends, holidays or after hours.

In the neighbouring settlements, medical centres are also closed, and the nearest emergency room is located about 45 kilometres away.

‘This is not just a provocation, the decree is a cry for help, a way to draw attention to an unacceptable situation,’ Antonio Torchia told a local news outlet.

The decree will remain in effect until the city's health centre is open regularly, the official added.

However, it is unclear how the locals will enforce the ‘no-sickness’ order, if at all.

Mayor Belcastro said that many cities face problems with access to healthcare services, a similar situation in more than 80 municipalities in Catanzaro province.