Milan, 24 Mar. (Adnkronos Health) — Regulate ritual circumcisions to protect the health of children, because the interventions performed in our country are clandestine and ‘do it yourself’ in 4 cases out of 10. Foreign doctors in Italy launch an appeal to the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, for «an urgent meeting» on the subject, «a decree and national recommendations», after today in Rome a 20-day-old baby arrived dead in hospital and for the case it is assumed «a circumcision hemorrhage gone wrong», underlines Foad Aodi president of Amsi (Association of doctors of foreign origin in Italy) and Co-mai (Community of the Arab world in Italy), member of the Global Health Commission of Fnomceo (National Federation of Medical Orders).
In the world more than 30% of males are circumcised for religious, cultural or preventive reasons, remember doctors of foreign origin in a note.According to statistics from Amsi and Co-mai, «only in our country more than 15 thousand circumcisions are requested by Muslims and non-Muslims, of which 8,500 are performed in Italy (mainly in Lazio, Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont, Campania and Sicily) and 6,500 in the countries of origin. 40% of circumcisions that are done in Italy are do-it-yourself and clandestine, and cause a 15% increase in complications on children. 99% of Muslim families want to resort to this practice from the first months of life of children» and «because of the pandemic» of Covid «waiting lists have increased, the cost of circumcision in private and consequently the black market and clandestine circumcisions do it yourself».
«We are very sorry for the umpteenth tragedy of children because of clandestine circumcisions — says Aodi — We ask for an urgent meeting with the Minister of Health Schillaci and the President of the Lazio Region Francesco Rocca, to work so that «circumcisions in health centers» are carried out in all regions and to protect the health of children and combat clandestine circumcisions, the whole black market and their very serious complications on children from a psychological, sexual and physical point of view».
«Thanks to the joint commitment for more than 10 years and to the teamwork with Amsi, Co-Mai, United movement to unite, associations and member communities, regional cultural centers, Fnomceo and professional registers, and to the numerous constructive meetings already carried out with the Regions and the Minister of Health — recalls Aodi — we managed to open various clinics in numerous regions and to obtain the authorization of the act of circumcision in health facilities, to ensure the health of children and the serenity of their families.After the last decree of the Lazio Region for ritual circumcision, with which we have established collaborations and comparisons for about 10 years in this regard, the requests to perform ritual circumcisions have tripled, in particular from the Regions that lack the appeal in authorizing and opening circumcision clinics «.
«We continue to work for a national law, as we have already asked the former minister Giulia Grillo, to guarantee the act of circumcision in safety and affordability, with a health ticket in all regions and not just in some. All this — concludes Aodi — to combat clandestine circumcision and respect the right to health for all, promoting integration».
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