Castel Volturno Outpatient Clinic

In Castel Volturno, practical and ongoing help for people in the most vulnerable groups.

According to data published by the International Organization for Migration, in 2010 there were 25,000 foreigners in Castel Volturno, around one-third of the total population. The most recent Italian national demographics (January 2021) report resident foreigners at 17.5 per cent of the population, mainly from Ghana and Nigeria.

The figures, however, do not include non-resident foreigners and those without residence permits.

Day after day, we see the difficulties related to access to care. Migrants living in the area struggle to achieve decent economic conditions that can ensure their ability to access care. Endemic problems have arisen: from precarious employment to labour exploitation, primarily in the agricultural, commercial, and construction sectors, working often forces migrants to live in a limbo of prolonged ‘invisibility.’

Activities since 2013

We started working in Castel Volturno in 2013 with a mobile unit.

Two years later, to better meet healthcare needs of the population, we opened an Outpatient Clinic for both adult and paediatric patients. Today, it operates as a socio-medical helpdesk, where our staff and mediators inform patients of their rights, help them to access the healthcare services already available in the local area and support them throughout the diagnostic and treatment process, including by accompanying them to appointments.

The Outpatient Clinic’s activities came to an end in 2020, thanks to excellent cooperation with the local health authorities: the handover was the result of joint work to enable foreign nationals to access medical services on an equal footing with Italian citizens.

EMERGENCY’s commitment to healthcare for the children of irregular migrants

In 2022, EMERGENCY helped give the children of irregular EU citizens the possibility to have free access to local paediatricians.

A goal achieved after years of requests to the representatives of the institutions in charge, to facilitate access to the health service regardless of administrative status.

In February 2023, our staff therefore concluded the paediatrician service, which since 2015 has guaranteed medical treatment, periodic growth checks and socio-healthcare guidance to 1,021 children followed by EMERGENCY’s paediatricians, for a total of 6,290 services provided.

Promoting rights together with the Castel Volturno Solidarity Network

EMERGENCY in Castel Volturno is part of the “Castel Volturno solidale” network, a group of organisations working at local level to defend and promote – through local activities and advocacy – the rights of those in marginalised living situations.

Together with the network’s members, EMERGENCY represents the requests of the patients of Castel Volturno to the municipal and regional administration and the Prefecture of Caserta so that the rights of the most vulnerable people are not ignored.

This project is supported with 8×1000 funds from the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai

And with the support of the Intesa San Paolo Charitable Fund

Thanks also to the support of