COLLEGIAL EXCHANGE PRECIOUS

Collegial EXCHANGE

PRECIOUS

Italy and Serbia are today much better prepared when it comes to a possible second wave of the pandemic. While complex equipment is necessary, the most valuable element is the sharing of knowledge and collegial exchanges. This makes the visit of the Italian medical team to Serbia a precious sign of friendship between the two countries

An Italian health team consisting of five doctors and a nurse – Jacopo Pallavicini (surgeon and team leader, Turin), Agostino Roasio (anaesthesiologist, Asti), Andrea Mariano (infectious diseas sepcialist, Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital, Rome), Andrea Roncarati (anaesthesiologist, Pordenone, Western Friuli), Vito Procacci (emergency medicine physician and head of emergency department, Bari Polyclinic), Alice Pollano (nurse, Turin) – came to Serbia for two weeks from 2 nd to 16 th August, at the initiative of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in coordination with the Department of Civil Protection. The

team operated thanks to an agreement between the Italian Certainly, during the most severe moments of the crisis, we and Serbian governments. also received the help that we tried to provide to our Serbian

During their mission, these Italian healthcare profescolleagues during our mission to Belgrade. sionals were received by Serbian Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar and visited the Clinical Centre of Serbia, the Clinic for What was your motive for sharing knowledge with your Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Belgrade, Zemun Hospital colleagues in Serbia? In which areas were you able to conand the clinical centres of Bežhanijska Kosa, Niš, Novi Sad tribute the most? and Kragujevac. These meetings allowed them to exchange - The mission in Belgrade is part of the commitment that Italy information and experience regarding the treatment of has put in place in support of the Balkan region regarding the COVID-19 with local doctors and health staff, in order to better COVID-19 emergency since the start of the pandemic, witaddress the management of patients with the virus in these nessed lastly by the sending of a medical team to Albania also. hospitals. We spoke with team leader Dr Jacopo Pallavicini Tangibly, the goal of our visit was to exchange experiences about the mission to Serbia, as well as the current situation and knowledge regarding the treatment of COVID-19 cases in regarding the pandemic. several sanitary structures in Serbia. There is no treatment What condition is the Italian medical system in today, on the approaches and we have given some advice to our colleagues, eve of autumn – when we expect a new wave of COVID-19 to given the experience that we had in Italy during the previous hit? Do you feel more prepared; are you very difficult months. better equipped and more experienced? - The Italian healthcare system is fully operational and, although the overall Enormous work and effort has been undertaken to increase Particular appreciation for the Italian experience included two points: the mechanical ventilation of patients in intensive number of infections was very critical hospital capacities and care; and the technique of assessing the during spring, it has been able to respond adequately to the challenges and overcapabilities across Italy, lungs of the most critical patients with ultrasound devices. come the crisis successfully. particularly in intensive care, Italy was the first European country to be hit by the pandemic, in particular the northern part of our country. The to further prepare the health system for the possible What are your impressions in relation to the equipment of the healthcare institutions in Serbia and the level of knowledge sanitary structures, as well as all mediemergence of a second wave among domestic experts? cal staff and the central government, in cooperation with regional governments, of the pandemic - We had the chance to see that European standards are applied in Serbia. Serbia responded efficiently and exerted all has responded well to the epidemic and possible efforts. Citizens themselves were subjected to very the local doctors have done an outstanding job. They are very restrictive measures. well prepared and absolutely ready to fight the epidemic in

Through this first severe experience, especially in March the case that another major outbreak of the virus hits. and April, Italy gained much more preparedness with respect We have seen very well-organised hospitals, spoken with to the first time, and also thanks to great help and donahospital directors who showed that they have very clear ideas tions, as well as international decisions that intervened in about what actions to take. The protection of health workers the meantime. It is for this reason that I can certainly state in Serbia is at an extremely high level. Hospital personnel have that we are much better prepared and equipped than before. the highest level of protective equipment and know how to

Enormous work and effort has been undertaken to increase use it. Organisation is very successful; they have managed hospital capacities and capabilities across Italy, particularly to keep the positive cases separate from negative and undein intensive care, to further prepare the health system for the tected individuals, which are more problematic in this regard. possible emergence of a second wave. code for this disease, unfortunately, but there are different Do you continue to exchange experiences with your Serbian Were your colleagues in the EU and elsewhere willing to colleagues today? share their knowledge and experiences? Is this type of - We are in contact with them and remain available for further cooperation equally evident today as it was at the onset deepening of information, if needed. We hope that a similar of the crisis? mission can also be implemented in the future by Serbian - We also had contacts with our colleagues within other EU doctors and specialists in Italy. We have created a network countries and I can confirm that there is a general interest of colleagues and friends and are still in touch with them, in sharing information among several sanitary systems. even if we are far away.

In your opinion, to what extent have Serbia has responded well What advice would you give to your national policies towards health sys tems changed today, after the pan to the epidemic and colleagues in Serbia and citizens in the wake of the expected new wave of the demic showed the detrimental effects the local doctors have done pandemic this coming autumn and winter? of the austerity measures applied to healthcare? an outstanding job. They are - In Italy citizens shifted their consciousness deeply and during recent months - The plans that were approved by the very well prepared and have become increasingly aware, wise European Council in July, aimed at supporting individual EU countries after this major crisis, certainly also help healthcare a t bsolutely ready to fight he epidemic in the case and cautious: some noticeable behaviours in everyday life were the increase of the use of masks and avoiding crowds. systems. Among the various tools, the that another major outbreak Awareness and compliance with preven“ReactEU” instrument, with a total budget of 47.5 billion euros, ensures that antiof the virus hits tative measures, such as maintaining basic hygiene and physical distance, COVID-19 interventions can be introduced which is currently the main way to keep in favour of the health system and support workers’ incomes the infection curve down, are now more present in the and corporate liquidity. In more general terms, certainly more mentality and behaviour of the population. This would be awareness was spread among governments in respect to the best advice that I could give to our Serbian friends the importance of assuring sufficient budgets for health for maintaining contagions at a low level, unless a more departments. definitive solution is available.