Meloni blast 'falsehoods' over health spending in budget

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 17 - Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday hit back at what she said were "falsehoods" about the money the government has set aside for the national health system in its 2025 budget bill.
    The opposition and medical associations have said the package only allocates around 900 million euros in new money to health spending, arguing this is not enough to ease the system's many problems, including long waiting lists.
    But the government said the real figure being invested in health is much higher.
    "I have heard many falsehoods over the few hours about healthcare and the budget law," Meloni said via social media.
    "So let's make it even clearer: +6.4 billion for healthcare in two years (+2.37 billion in 2025 and +4.12 billion in 2026).
    "All-time record for the national health funding: 136.48 billion in 2025 and 140.6 billion in 2026.
    "These are the numbers. The rest is mystification".
    But Nino Cartabellotta, the president of the Gimbe Foundation, doubled down on the criticism.
    "Dear Premier Giorgia Meloni, your attempt to provide more clarity is even more confusing," Cartabellotta said via X.
    "Because you add up the resources allocated to health in two budget laws: 2024 and 2025.
    "While we wait for the text of the budget bill, the numbers are: +0.86 billion in 2025; +3.1 billion in 2026; +0.17 billion in 2027, according to the DBP (draft budget plan).
    "Never mind the records, they belong to sport.
    "Otherwise, let's cite as a sad record the 4.5 million people who no longer get treatment, 2.5 million of whom for economic reasons". (ANSA).