He was 65 years old and a sudden illness while he was bathing in the sea of Gallipoli was fatal.
Published:22-08-2024 13:48
Last update:22-08-2024 13:56
ROMA – He had been fined for ‘too much work’ during the pandemic but took up pen and paper and turned to the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. He had also suffered aviolent assault in emergency roomfor which he had been hospitalized for a few days in intensive care, but had returned to his work without fear. He never gave up, unfortunately until yesterday. Vito Procacci, the director of the Emergency Department of the Policlinico of Bari, passed away suddenly. He was 65 years old and an illness while he was bathing in the sea of Gallipoli was fatal to him. The rescue efforts of the 118 operators were useless. “Tonight our beloved Vito suddenly went up to heaven just as he lived, with the lightness and joy of living that made him unique. He decided to go to the sea he loved so much, to the land he fought for, until the last day. The funeral will be held tomorrow, August 23, at 4 pm at the Cathedral of Bitonto“, we read on the deceased doctor’s personal page.
EMILIANO: “DRAMATIC AWAKENING”
“A dramatic awakening today in learning of the sudden passing of Vito Procacci, a doctor, friend and exceptional man. A medical director who I do not hesitate to call a hero, who faced every type of emergency on the front lines, always giving his all to save lives and allow people to heal. Under his direction, the Emergency Department of the Policlinico of Bari has made a huge leap in quality in recent years in terms of innovation, logistics, assistance and care, becoming a point of reference for the entire community. For Puglia, it is a truly irreparable loss. I join with great emotion in the grief of the family, of his brother Giovanni, of his colleagues and of the many people who love him”. Thus the President of the Puglia Region Michael Emiliano expressing their condolences for the sudden passing of Vito Procacci.
DE IACO (SIMEU): “BUSY PROFESSIONAL, FINE FOR TOO MUCH WORK DURING PANDEMIC IS JUST AN EXAMPLE”
“Vito was a major figure in the Apulian healthcare system, one with whom we worked together a lot. He was a committed professional and the story of the fine for shifts is just one example. His activism with the specialists was incredible”. This is how he remembers him to Dire Fabio De Iacopresident of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine (Simeu) and director of the Complex Structure of Emergency Medicine-Urgency 1 of the Maria Vittoria Hospital, ASL, City of Turin.
“In Bari, medical students also enter his Emergency Room,” De Iaco continues, “he wanted to make them understand what Emergency Medicine is and the reason for the service. He called this project ‘Next Generation Meu’ in parallel with the European one ‘Next Generation Eu’. This initiative now boasts a good level of participation and has been very well accepted.”
Vito Procacci was one of those people who know how to make themselves heard: “A person with whom we had heated discussions, and it is fortunate to be able to do so. It is a significant loss, we were friends”. His passing leaves a void that is difficult to fill: “We are losing a person who made his work a true social commitment – continues the president of Simeu – people of this type are increasingly rare and I do not know if in the future we will be able to count on the presence of people of this type. What is happening in Sanità is proof of this”. Procacci’s work with young people will remain an example to follow, “his son is one of our specialists”, concludes De Iaco.
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