On Tuesday, 14 April 2026, a participatory meeting of the SANITAS project was held at the GO! Center, with the aim of strengthening cross-border cooperation in the healthcare sector between Italy and Slovenia. 

The event presented a valuable opportunity to involve residents from the cross-border area directly and to collect their experiences, testimonies and suggestions regarding access to healthcare services. The meeting was specifically aimed at individuals living, working, or frequently travelling between the two countries. 

The information gathered will form the basis for developing a cross-border protocol in primary healthcare, on which the EGTC GO and its project partners are currently working within the project framework. The protocol aims to ensure more coordinated, timely and effective healthcare in the cross-border area, particularly in the event of emergencies and natural disasters. 

Participants at the event highlighted the many practical difficulties they encounter in their daily lives, particularly with regard to emergency medical assistance, access to cross-border healthcare services, administrative procedures and continuity of care. 

The main issues that emerged during the lively discussion were related to emergency medical services, medical and hospital documentation, continuity of care after treatment, access to services and reimbursement of expenses, cross-border workers, documentation and rights, education and insurance, and language barriers. 

For example, it emerged from the reported problems that ambulances are not authorised to cross the border in emergency situations, causing delays even when the nearest team is located on the other side. Significant differences were also identified in the two national systems from a documentation perspective, which can make it difficult for cross-border workers to access documents. The presence of the border can also compromise continuity of care: a patient who undergoes surgery in Slovenia, for instance, is not guaranteed home care in Italy, and similar difficulties are experienced by postpartum mothers. 

Cross-border workers may lose their general practitioner following relocation and employment abroad, and may encounter double taxation issues despite European-level regulations. More broadly, a lack of harmonisation between systems and uncertainty surrounding the exercise of rights affects the lives of people living or working in a cross-border context. Language barriers further complicate these situations, making communication difficult between patients and healthcare personnel. New technologies could offer a partial solution to this, for example through the use of real-time translation devices. 

Acknowledging these challenges is a vital first step in developing solutions that better address the needs of the population in cross-border areas. 

The SANITAS project is a concrete step towards establishing an integrated primary healthcare system for residents in the cross-border area. The project is aimed at enabling the two countries to manage potential future emergency situations together. Specifically, the project addresses shared challenges concerning climate change adaptation and enhancing the capacity to respond to natural disasters, by strengthening cooperation between the two countries. Key activities include upgrading equipment, developing skills and improving the integration of healthcare and emergency response teams on both sides of the border. 

The SANITAS project is co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy–Slovenia Programme 2021–2027. 

For more information: www.ita-slo.eu/en/sanitas