Sprechi Asp Palermo

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Il presidente della Commissione parlamentare di inchiesta sugli errori sanitari e le cause dei disavanzi sanitari regionali, Leoluca Orlando , ha chiesto una relazione al direttore della Asp di Palermo Salvatore Cirignotta, per avere informazioni su macchinari acquistati mai entrati in funzione. In particolare la richiesta riguarda una risonanza magnetica acquistata due anni fa attraverso i fondi del Po Fesr 2007-2013 con un finanziamento di circa un milione e mezzo di euro, montata da sei mesi nel reparto di Radiologia dell’ospedale Ingrassia e mai utilizzata. Il personale, a quanto si apprende da notizie di stampa, sarebbe insufficiente a garantire il servizio. “Questa notizia, se confermata, oltre ad essere esempio di spreco di soldi pubblici, avrebbe anche chiare ricadute sulla tutela del diritto alla salute. Le liste d’attesa per prenotare le risonanze negli altri ospedali dell’area palermitana vengono, infatti, ulteriormente ingrossate da pazienti che non possono usufruire del servizio all’Ingrassia. Si tratta, lo ricordiamo, di liste spesso già lunghe che rischiano di indirizzare il paziente verso il privato per ottenere, a prezzo maggiorato, un servizio che il pubblico dovrebbe garantire”, ha dichiarato Orlando. “La Commissione – ha concluso – nell’ambito delle attività istituzionali che fanno riferimento alla situazione finanziaria del Servizio sanitario in Sicilia, vuole acquisire elementi informativi utili ad avere chiarimenti su quanto emerso. Attendiamo, pertanto, una relazione contenente informazioni necessarie al proseguimento della nostra attività istruttoria”.

A “letter of rights” to ensure fair trials for those deprived of their liberty Justice and Home Affairs

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Anyone suspected or accused of having committed a crime in the EU must be promptly informed of his or her procedural rights in easy-to-understand language, says a draft law endorsed by the Civil Liberties Committee on Wednesday. Any suspect who is then arrested or detained must also be given a written “letter of rights”, adds the draft, to which MEPs added the right to remain silent, the right to urgent medical care and the right to contact relatives.Today, citizens arrested and charged with a criminal offence cannot be certain that they will be properly informed of their rights everywhere in the EU. In some Member States, they receive only oral information about their procedural rights, whilst in others the information is given in writing, but is technical, complex and provided only on request. This draft directive, already agreed with Member State governments, provides EU-wide minimum standards to ensure the right to information in criminal proceedings.Any person suspected or accused of having committed a crime must be promptly provided with information on at least the following procedural rights:
· the right of access to a lawyer,
· any entitlement to legal advice free of charge and the conditions for obtaining it,
· the right to be informed of the accusation,
· the right to interpretation and translation; and
· the right to remain silent.
This information must be provided either orally or in writing and in simple and accessible language, taking into account any particular need of vulnerable people. A suspect must be informed of what criminal act he or she is suspected of having committed “at the latest” before the first official interview by the police. The authorities will be obliged to give anyone who is arrested or detained, or is the subject of a European Arrest Warrant, written information in the form of a “letter of rights”. In addition to the rights mentioned above, the letter must give the arrested person information on
· the right to access to the materials of the case,
· the right to have consular authorities and one person informed (for example, a family member or employer),
· the right of access to urgent medical assistance, and
· the right to know for how many hours/days he may be deprived of liberty before being brought before a judicial authority.
The letter of rights must also give basic information about any possibility to challenge the lawfulness of the arrest, to obtain a review of the detention, or to apply for provisional release. The draft law provides for an indicative model of such a letter of rights. Member States may amend this model to align it with their national rules and add further useful information.Member States must also ensure that a suspected or accused person or his or her lawyer has the right to challenge a failure or refusal by the competent authorities to provide the information required by this directive.
An important information right provided for in the draft law is the right to have access to the materials of the case which are essential to challenge the lawfulness of the arrest or detention effectively. Access to these materials may be refused only “if it may lead to serious risk to the life or fundamental rights of another person or if it is strictly necessary to safeguard an important public interest”, e.g. in cases where it risks prejudicing an ongoing investigation, or where it may seriously harm the national security of the Member State. The decision not to disclose these materials should be taken by a judicial authority or be at least subject to judicial review.This draft law should apply to suspected and accused persons regardless of their legal status, citizenship or nationality, MEPs add.
The draft law should be put to a vote by the full Parliament in December 2011 and then needs to be formally endorsed by the EU Council of Ministers. Once adopted, Member States will have two years to transpose it into their national laws.
The UK and Ireland have notified their wish to take part in the adoption and application of this directive. Denmark is the only Member State not taking part.There are over 8 million criminal proceedings in the EU every year. Together with the directive on the right to translation and interpretation, adopted last year, the draft directive on the right to information in criminal proceedings is one in a series of fair trial measures that aims to boost confidence in the EU’s single area of justice. A third proposal, to guarantee access to a lawyer, is currently under discussion in the Civil Liberties Committee.

Climate justice at UN talks in Durban

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Durban, South Africa 29 November to 5 December. Caritas Internationalis President Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga will travel to UN climate talks. He will urge governments for a deal on climate change that puts poor communities in developing countries first and provides for a sustainable future. Cardinal Rodriguez and Caritas South Africa will be leading a delegation of representatives from the Caritas confederation’s over 160 Catholic aid agency membership. The 20- strong Caritas delegation will be taking part in several events in Durban in focusing on the impact of climate change in Africa. Cardinal Rodriguez said, “Our climate is changing. Caritas organisations are responding to increasing unpredictability and extreme weather conditions experienced around the world. This year we saw floods in Central America, South and South East Asia and drought across East Africa. “Urgent action is necessary. Climate negotiators in Durban must not further delay agreeing to international legislation to curb the threat of climate change and set the world on a path to a more just and sustainable future.” In 2011, the East of Africa suffered the worst drought in half a century. Drought is not new in East Africa but changes in weather patterns combined with lack of investment, competition for land and water
have eroded the capacity of local people to cope. “The whole world is vulnerable to climate change but poor countries are affected more,” said Cardinal Rodriguez. “Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to the impacts of climate change. Africans are taking a stand in Durban, it is time for the world to stand with Africa.” Caritas says negotiations
at the UNFCCC meeting must take the necessary steps for a fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement that builds on the Kyoto Protocol. Decisions are needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 40 percent by 2020 by developed counties. Caritas says the Green Climate Fund must become fully operational. Adaptation measures should receive substantial public funding as poor and vulnerable populations are most affected. A key concern for Caritas is ensuring that all men and women around the world have enough safe and healthy food. Climate change affects food security because the modification of climate patterns seriously affects agriculture The right to food must be a guiding principle at Durban. For Caritas, it means ensuring that the one billion people living in extreme poverty are both the beneficiaries and the engines of agriculture and food security policies.