Italian-born doctor Flavio Severgnini has been part of several rescue missions while working with NSW Ambulance as a specialist in anaesthesia, resuscitation and intensive care. He had been in Australia for just over a year on a Temporary Skills Shortage visa when the coronavirus pandemic struck and his hometown was at the centre of the contagion in Italy.
The 36-year-old medic decided to pack his bags and returned to Bergamo in Lombardy (northern Italy) to use his experience to serve his local hospital.
As Italy was one of the worst-hit countries at the time, and between cancelled flights and border closures, it took him three days to reach Italy, via Honolulu, San Francisco, New York and Frankfurt.
Since landing back in Lombardy, Dr Severgnini has been working in the intensive care unit of Chiari hospital where despite the number of beds quadrupling in the ICU since the outbreak, it was still overflowing with patients.
Dr Flavio Severgnini was working with NSW Ambulance Service until Februrary 2020. Source: Supplied
Among Italy’s 32,000 COVID-19 fatalities, many were doctors and nurses working in public hospitals. Despite the horrific death toll, Dr Severgnini says he is undeterred.
“When we chose this profession, we also accepted the risks related to this. Not just in Italy, but everywhere,” he told SBS Italian.
The concern, however, that always remains is about infecting family members with the virus.
“That’s why I decided not to stay at home with my parents. I’m responsible for my own choices, but they can’t be responsible for mine.”
With over 225,000 positive cases and over 32,000 dead, Italy has the world’s third-highest COVID-19 death toll. Dr Severgnini says Italy could have done better to contain the initial spread.
“Given that no country was prepared for such an intense outbreak, so deadly and contagious, Italy was also the first outside of Wuhan and it didn’t have any time to prepare properly,” he says.
“Furthermore, the public system has been facing multiple cuts and decreased resources in the last years; it’s understaffed and understocked and this certainly impacted on the initial management.”
The pandemic has so far claimed over 315,000 lives since it’s outbreak in December 2019. Dr Severgnini says, besides those who died of the virus while trying to protect the general population, several healthcare workers are likely to face a mental toll of the COVID-19 crisis.
Source: Supplied
“I don't think this will change anything in me as a doctor, but I’m sure that many health workers, especially those not normally involved with critical patients and death, may face psychological issues when all of this is over,” he says.
“The magnitude of this outbreak has affected everyone in the north of Italy. Everyone has lost a friend or a relative and this is difficult to deal with, so an appropriate support strategy should be available for everyone.”
He says the world should learn the hard lesson from COVID-19 and start acting accordingly.
“Allocating funds for people’s health is not squandering money, it’s an investment, even if it may not look like it in the short term.
“For sure, what I’ll do in the future, is to fight harder against cuts to the health system, resources and workers.”
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at
