Infographic: Most of Italy’s for-profit sector is in the North
This week healthcare organisations across Italy have told HBI that they are too busy to answer questions about the effect of COVID-19 on their work. No surprise there – the virus-stricken north is the stronghold for most for-profit operators. HBI maps their geographic presence and analyses against the spread of the virus.
Gruppo San Donato is likely to be the busiest with almost all of its hospitals in the Lombardy region and with 85% public payor exposure it’s likely to be taking a high level of overflow that state hospitals cannot cope with. An Italy-level outbreak in the UK could be an opportunity for for-profit hospitals there, who we hear are gearing up to sign potentially lucrative deals with NHS commissioners to supply extra bed capacity.
The Italian north is a medical tourism destination for many in the south: which means that elective surgery will also be down due to overcapacity and travel bans.
Then there’s the elderly care sector. 23% of the Italian population is over the age of 65 – the second-highest globally after Japan – and the mortality rates for people of 70-79 is 8%. It’s even higher among 80-year-olds at 14.8%. There’s a huge reputational, regulatory and occupancy risk for groups like Anni Annurri that have a large presence in the North. Many nursing homes have banned external visitors.
Look at the geographical spread below.
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