They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa

Mad? MAD....? Too bloody right I'm mad!

It's Tuesday 20th June and I've just spent the best part of the day running around like the proverbial 'blue ar**d fly'! If you're sitting comfortably (and can be bothered to listen), here's how the day went.

At 0815, 'bright eyed and bushy tailed' - I arrived at my Doctors surgery for prescriptions for my 'sweetie supply' ! I'm first, which is nice - no waiting... then after the 'niceties' she hit me with this - "Sorry, but ASL (like the NHS) at Lecco has removed you from my patient list"!

I 'kid you not' - I nearly had another bloody heart attack! I had applied to retain her as my doctor when I finally moved my residence from the Province of Lecco to that of Sondrio (in my case a huge distance of 1.5 miles away - but nevertheless in another Province).

All the 'request' paperwork was completed and deposited at the SO - ASL office in March. It then has to be adjudged by their Medical Council for approval or rejection. (They would have to pay LC - ASL for my doctors services). I was sent a copy of their 'favourable decision' made on the 13th April. This was dated 5th May - (well we ARE in Italy you know!!!!). I mentioned this to my doctor at the time and she said "Great - we'll just carry on as normal then...."
Little did we know!

So on Tuesday she is informed of my removal - so in effect I now have NO doctor.... What to do? First stop - local ASL office in Colico... "No" they say "you should still be with your Doctor. Phone THIS number at the Lecco ASL and tell them you have the agreement letter".
"Can't you phone them"? I stupidly ask...."No - you don't show on our computer any more!"

Told you it was fun. By now I'm getting very near to being 'carted off' to the funny farm.

So, back home to speak to the slowest, most stupid clerk that the Good Lord put on this earth! Don't they teach their clerks to let the customer explain the problem first - and THEN try and solve it for them???? He interrupted me throughout, to such an extent that I just stopped talking. It suddenly dawned on him that he was listening to his own voice and said "Are you still there"?
"Oh yes" say I..."I was just waiting for you to stop interrupting me by telling me that the problem was mine for NOT following 'the guidelines'. So WHAT must I do now to get my doctor back and some medicines before I have another heart attack"? As you may well imagine - by now smoke is coming out of my ears! I can hardly even 'think straight'.

They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa .... I know it!

No - wait. It gets better.
"You'll have to go to ASL at Sondrio and tell them that they should have asked us FIRST (?)"
Do I detect that his feelings have been hurt? I bloody hope so!

So before setting out for Sondrio, I chance phoning the office where I made the original request in Morbegno.... where a 'delightful lady' listened to the problem, said she remembered me and that the OK from the Lecco Medical Council had arrived in their office THAT MORNING! Just come over, see me and I'll organise everything straight away"......she says!
I can't believe it - in the midst of all this chaos I have found some 'Efficiency'!!

Well within 20 minutes I'm at her 'sportello' (window) and she tells me that 'Il sig. Impiegato Stupido' from Lecco has just phoned her and told her that 'his office' (not 'him') had not noticed that they had already accepted my request. He added that she was likely to have a very mad Englishwoman arriving before too long! She also told me what she called him, but I don't know how to write the 'dialect' for what she said!!!!!

So after just 10 more minutes and I have all my documents in order and I'm back on the Dottoressa's list.
Phew!
So perhaps They're NOT Coming to Take Me Away after all - Ha-Haaa!

posted by Carole B @ 4:00 PM