Iran Press/ Europe: According to Iranpress, nearly 50,000 Italians attended the protest in Rome, the capital of Italy, on Saturday evening with the slogan "Enough is enough, we can't afford to pay for treatment."
Italian activist Patrizia Pini told Iranpress correspondent in Rome: "We participated in this demonstration to tell the government that it should increase the funding of the health sector."
Criticizing the privatization of the health system and emphasizing people's right to public health and treatment, this Italian activist added: "The resources allocated to health services in Italy are still decreasing."
Patricia Pini stated: "The decrease in health sector credits has led to a shortage of medical staff and reduced services to patients in medical centers and hospitals."
This anti-government demonstration was held at the initiative of two large labor unions, CGIL and UIL, in Italy.
During the anti-government demonstration in Rome, Pierpaolo Bombardieri, Secretary General of the UIL trade union, told Iranpress correspondent: "People are demanding access to public health and medical services with their large presence in this demonstration."
The Secretary General of the Oil Trade Union in Italy emphasized: "Last year, nearly five million Italians gave up medical services due to the increase in treatment costs and economic problems."
Flavio Gambini, a labor activist participating in the anti-government demonstrations in Rome, also told Iranpress correspondent: "Low wages, high cost of living, and poor health care in Italy have caused people great concern."
Italy's trade unions have warned that continuing health budget cuts have put some hospitals at risk of closure.
Earlier, doctors and nurses in Italy went on strike for a few hours to protest the working conditions and the government's action in reducing the health budget.
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