Josephine amab Talking of socialized health systems, as a few of you asked. Here is how the Italian system works.
You get healthcare and other contributions deducted from your earnings at source. You carry a digital health-card with your contributions and usage all recorded in the chip. This was introduced as the rich have abused the system for years paying nothing.
Then when you go for a blood-test, x-ray,or specialist visit you queue up and pay a ticket of around 50 to 100 Euro.
You can elect to see a specific specialist as a private patient by paying 160 Euro for the consultation. and then pay for the test etc.whereas non-private you take a number and see the specialist *junior on call.
Your GP is your doctor and he must write a script for every single thing you do: every visit, test and xray must be prescribed by your family doctor. Almost impossible to change your doctor once appointed. Mine is useless.
The same applies in the emergency room you take a number and pay a fee.
The same applies to the pharmacy you pay a portion of the costs for prescribed medicine.(over the counter medicine like aspirin not covered and not sold in supermarkets and is and very expensive).
Dentistry is not covered at all.
If you are unemployed you can get an exemption from the ticket.
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I know that we all feel pain differently, and I really had a hard time that first week in the hospital when they gave me next to nothing for pain. (I nearly lost my mind).
Do not touch! That's exactly the way to get it infected! You need to get it attended to by the surgeon or his assistant who will trim it with sterile scissors. Until then just cover it with a sterile sticky plaster and leave it alone! 
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