The Nuovo e Grande Buzzi, the first X-ray free paediatric hospital

A hospital that works tirelessly so that children can dream. This is the noble aim of the project “Nuovo e Grande Buzzi”, which was presented during a press conference at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan on 13 February.

The Vittore Buzzi hospital, a renowned institution in Milan, was founded in 1897 and is the only paediatric hospital in the Lombardy region. It is now set to become one of the main international hubs for paediatric medicine and a centre of excellence in medicine and healthcare.

The Nuovo e Grande Buzzi, which will open at the beginning of 2022, aims to place children at the centre of its activities, not only thanks to technology, but above all through a people-oriented approach. “A cutting-edge hospital, where diagnostic methods are child-friendly and risk-free, where professionalism combines with the personal touch and a holistic vision of the individual patient,” announced Stefano Simontacchi, President of the Buzzi Foundation, which has made children’s wellbeing its mission in life.

There were special thanks for Enel Cuore because the Enel Group’s non-profit organisation has supported the project with the donation of a new “whole body” Tesla 3 Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine. With this new equipment, the Nuovo e Grande Buzzi project will be able to achieve one of its goals as the paediatric hospital becomes the first in Italy to be X-ray free.

“A state of the art device that means patients are not exposed to any type of radiation while doctors can effect a rapid and accurate examination of various parts of the body. The time that patients need to spend under sedation is also reduced. As of September 2020, the machine will make it possible to double the number of examinations carried out annually,” explained Patrizia Grieco, Enel’s President (from May 2014 to May 2020) and a member of the Buzzi Foundation Honorary Committee, which was introduced during the event.

"The ‘Nuovo e Grande Buzzi’ project will further boost treatment capacity and care at the Buzzi hospital, extending and strengthening its role as a paediatric centre of excellence, a reference point not only for Milan but for the entire national medical profession."

Patrizia Grieco, Enel’s President and member of the Buzzi Foundation Honorary Committee

The structure will be equipped with futuristic equipment, a robotic surgery section and diagnostic capabilities enhanced by cutting-edge technology that is completely X-ray free. What’s more, the new building’s assorted areas will also be made to be as welcoming as possible, both for the young patients and for their parents, thanks to walls that change colour, backlit ceilings, play areas, a library and garden.

The aim is to double the current capacity, passing from 23 thousand to 46 thousand admissions each year and from 5 thousand to 10 thousand surgical operations, as was underlined by Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti, Head of the Medicine and Surgery faculty at the University of Milan.

This dream was made possible with the support of the Buzzi Foundation together with the Honorary Committee, which launched the fundraising campaign #AssenzaDiGravità (free from gravity) at the same press conference.

"Our dream is a children’s hospital, a hospital that takes care of them, that helps them, a hospital open to the world and the future, a hospital for everyone."

Stefano Simontacchi, President of the Buzzi Foundation

Scientific research, advanced technology and next-generation care accessible to all, with a particular attention for the little ones: this is all part of the commitment shared by Enel Cuore and the Enel Group, which has made sustainability the cornerstone of its strategy.

What made the Milan press conference particularly special, in addition to the speeches by the various organisations and supporters, was a touching speech made by a child. His name is Edoardo Acone and he is alive, thanks to a medical miracle performed by the doctors of the Buzzi hospital, where years ago he was admitted in a life-threatening state. Edoardo, looking straight at the audience, thanked them for the life he can look forward to and said, “When I grow up, I want to be like you.”