Combating COVID-19: European Union solidarity and cooperation in the shared interest of saving lives. Sant’Anna School rector Sabina Nuti and health care experts united in common cause have posted their opinion on British Medical Journal (BMJ)
23 health care experts from all over Europe, including Italian academics Sabina Nuti, rector of Sant’Anna School and Walter Ricciardi, professor of the Università Cattolica Roma Department of Public Health, have posted their opinion on the British Medical Journal (BMJ) calling for solidarity among EU Member States to address the Coronavirus global health emergency. Experts made a direct appeal for European governments to coordinate responses and act in solidarity to develop a centralized capacity in everybody’s interest.
A unified European response is needed to assure that the most vulnerable are supported and a joint solidarity plan is needed to face the pandemic and any future infectious diseases. The European Council has underlined the importance of solidarity and cooperation to fight Covid-19 and amended the scope of the EU solidarity funds to include public health emergencies. This global health emergency has revealed the urgent need for additional hospital capacity and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds. Reports show that while bed capacity in the EU states is reaching its limits, some ICU beds remain available in some areas. Experts suggested hospitals to respect the common values and principles of cooperation and solidarity and have patients transferred to other states. Hence, the capacity to organize an international solidarity response to Covid-19 must be expanded.
In addition, experts emphasized the role of the EU to support the response with financial resources as the greatest challenges remain in research, infection control and critical care provision through effective solutions as telemedicine, innovative robotic health technology and digital tools for optimization of critical care beds in hospitals. In particular, digital health technology is enabling isolated patients, physicians and people to stay at home and communicate through virtual contact as well as promoting psychosocial well-being through multiple levels of interventions ranging from social networking, primary health care and specialized services.
“Success in responding to Covid-19 health emergency will depend on cooperation – says Sabina Nuti – A coordinated response can mark a new beginning and Europe can emerge stronger from the crisis. Europe should guarantee social protection to as many people as possible and invest for the future. We should all contribute to further strengthening Italian and European values”.
