Thursday, November 24, 2005
Ping-pongs and bureaucracy
I feel like I'm a ping pong ball!
I need to have a routine check up at the doctor's but my 'tessera sanitaria', which entitles me to use the Italian sistema sanitaria nazionale, has run out and I need to renew it.
But it's not a simple task.
I'm not registered with a doctor in my town but in my boyfriend's town because everyone agreed that I should definitely be with the 'medico di famiglia' and not a doctor I had plucked at random from a long list of names and opening hours.
The only problem is that the two towns can't decide who should be renewing my 'tessera' and consequently I'm being ping-ponged between the two.
Since I don't know anyone who has a friend/friend of a friend/brother/cousin/dog who works in either office, I'm at the mercy of Italian bureaucracy.
Still, at least I'll be able to join in the communal moaning about the state Italy is in next time I'm standing in the queue at the 'posta'.
Emma Bird is the founder of www.howtoitaly.com
I need to have a routine check up at the doctor's but my 'tessera sanitaria', which entitles me to use the Italian sistema sanitaria nazionale, has run out and I need to renew it.
But it's not a simple task.
I'm not registered with a doctor in my town but in my boyfriend's town because everyone agreed that I should definitely be with the 'medico di famiglia' and not a doctor I had plucked at random from a long list of names and opening hours.
The only problem is that the two towns can't decide who should be renewing my 'tessera' and consequently I'm being ping-ponged between the two.
Since I don't know anyone who has a friend/friend of a friend/brother/cousin/dog who works in either office, I'm at the mercy of Italian bureaucracy.
Still, at least I'll be able to join in the communal moaning about the state Italy is in next time I'm standing in the queue at the 'posta'.
Emma Bird is the founder of www.howtoitaly.com
