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Children's health in Milan

Italian healthcare resembles the French system in many ways, with a dedicated, free community paediatrician for every child, but it has its own rules: ATS registration first, the tessera sanitaria as your health card, a co-payment rather than reimbursement, and ten compulsory vaccines to enter nursery. Here is how it works, with verified addresses and the official list of French-speaking practitioners.

Verified on 30 October 2026

How the SSN works

The Servizio Sanitario Nazionale is tax-funded and run by the regions: in Milan, the ATS Milano Città Metropolitana steers, the ASSTs (hospitals and counters) treat. Private care is very present alongside, for speed and to consult in French.

Good to know

  • Registration with the Lombardy health service is done at the Scelta e Revoca counters; it is compulsory and free for EU citizens meeting the conditions of Decree 30/2007 (work, family of a worker), voluntary and paid for others, and lasts as long as the entitlement does. The tessera sanitaria is the proof. Source
  • The GP (medico di base) and paediatrician (pediatra di libera scelta) are free and freely chosen among contracted doctors; a specialist requires a referral from the treating doctor (impegnativa) and a co-payment, unless exempt. There is no reimbursement: you pay the co-payment, or nothing. Source
  • Class A medicines are covered by the SSN (the region may ask for a contribution), class C medicines are entirely at your expense. Children under 6 get enhanced coverage, and under-14s are exempt from the A&E co-payment. Source
  • Before registration, or for a stay under three months, the European Health Insurance Card (TEAM) covers urgent and necessary care on the same terms as Italians; posted employees keep French social security with the S1 form. Source
  • Private care is dense in Milan (polyclinics, medical centres, university hospitals with a private wing): quick appointments, paid consultations often covered by the employer's health fund. Several French-speaking doctors on the consulate's list practise at the Milan Medical Center, in the Pagano district. Source

Addresses

  • Milan Medical Center

    Via Angelo Mauri 3, 20144 Milano (Pagano, M1 Pagano)

    Multilingual private medical centre in the west of the centre, where several practitioners from the consulate's list consult: GP, paediatrician, dermatologist-allergist, orthopaedist. Paid consultations, by appointment.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, IT

    Website Source

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Registering and choosing the paediatrician

First health step, before anyone is ill: register each child with a pediatra di libera scelta, the contracted paediatrician who will follow them free until age 14. The first choice is made at the counter, later changes online.

Good to know

  • The first choice of doctor or paediatrician is made in person at the Scelta e Revoca counters of your local ASST; from the next change onwards, everything is done online on the Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico, where the parent logs in and self-certifies their status for a minor. Source
  • Bring the codice fiscale, a self-certification of residence, your ID and, if you have it, the tessera sanitaria; for a newborn, the self-certification of birth and family composition together with their codice fiscale. Source
  • ATS Milano's Trova Medico tool lists GPs and paediatricians by municipality or district with a colour code: green, places available; yellow, places reserved for children aged 0 to 5 and family reunifications; red, full. Data is not real-time, check at the counter. Source
  • The paediatrician follows the child until age 14; switching to a GP is possible from that age. Online, a further change is only possible after 30 days. Source
  • There is no national health record booklet: check-ups are noted by the paediatrician and vaccinations given in Lombardy are recorded in the child's electronic file. Bring the French carnet de santé, it counts for vaccines already received. Source

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Emergencies and children's hospitals

Two numbers to remember: 112 for life-threatening emergencies, 116117 for the out-of-hours doctor at night and weekends. Milan is lucky to have a children's hospital, the Buzzi, and several separate children's A&E in the big hospitals.

Good to know

  • 112 is the single emergency number in Lombardy, free, 24/7; for anything not life-threatening, 116117 (continuità assistenziale) answers at night from 8pm to 8am on weekdays and 24/7 at weekends and on public holidays. Source
  • At 116117, a doctor advises by phone, sees you in an on-call clinic or makes a home visit if needed, can prescribe urgent treatment for 48 to 72 hours and direct you to A&E. On Saturdays from 8am to 6pm, a dedicated paediatric line answers for ages 0 to 13. Have the tessera sanitaria handy. Source
  • At A&E (pronto soccorso), triage uses colour codes, from red to white, not arrival order: expect to wait for a simple fever. Adults pay a co-payment if discharged with a non-urgent code; children under 14 are exempt. Source
  • The hospitals below have an emergency department reserved for children, open 24/7 with paediatricians on site; choose the nearest to home and bring the child's medicines and tessera sanitaria. Source

Addresses

  • Ospedale dei Bambini Vittore Buzzi

    Emergency

    Via Castelvetro 32, 20154 Milano (Sempione, M5 Cenisio)

    Milan's children's hospital and the city's paediatric reference: A&E open 24/7 with paediatricians always present and specialists on call, pre-triage, waiting rooms and short-stay observation; paediatric ward with a playroom on every floor.

    Website Source

  • Clinica De Marchi, Policlinico di Milano

    Emergency

    Via della Commenda 9, 20122 Milano (Porta Romana, M3 Crocetta)

    The paediatric A&E of the Policlinico, the city-centre university hospital, open 24/7, next to the Mangiagalli maternity and its obstetric emergency unit.

    Website Source

  • Ospedale Niguarda, urgences pédiatriques

    Emergency

    Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162 Milano (nord, M5 Ca' Granda)

    Dedicated paediatric department within the big northern hospital, 24/7: two consulting rooms, an observation room with beds and cots for up to 24 hours, a reception area designed for children, a parent always with the child.

    Website Source

  • Ospedale San Carlo Borromeo, urgences pédiatriques

    Emergency

    Via Pio II 3, 20153 Milano (ouest, Baggio et San Siro)

    West Milan's paediatric A&E, 24/7 in dedicated spaces, with medical and nursing staff specialised in paediatrics and short-stay observation: the closest to San Siro.

    Website Source

  • Ospedale Macedonio Melloni, urgences pédiatriques

    Emergency

    Via Macedonio Melloni 52, 20129 Milano (Porta Vittoria, sud-est)

    Paediatric A&E with specialist cover day and night, two short-stay observation beds and a fast track for newborns and infants (Easy Pass Neonatale); if admission is needed, transfer to Fatebenefratelli paediatrics. Check the site's notices, the service saw temporary changes in 2026.

    Website Source

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French-speaking doctors, dentists and therapists

The French consulate general in Milan publishes a medical list, updated on 30 January 2026: French-speaking GPs, dentists, paediatrician, psychologists, physios and specialists. It is provided for information only, does not engage the administration's responsibility and the choice of doctor remains free. We list the Milan practitioners most useful to families, complemented by lepetitjournal.com Milan's list (March 2025).

Good to know

  • The consulate's official list covers Milan, Turin, Bergamo, Brescia, Bologna and Vicenza; for Milan, it names GPs, three dentists, one paediatrician, five psychologists and psychotherapists, physiotherapists, an allergist, orthopaedists and a cardiologist. It is not exhaustive. Source
  • These practitioners mostly work privately: consultations are paid, sometimes covered by insurance or the employer's health fund. For free follow-up in French within the SSN, ask the GP on the list whether they are also a contracted doctor with places available. Source
  • lepetitjournal.com Milan keeps a non-exhaustive list of French-speaking health professionals, updated in March 2025, and a directory where practitioners list themselves; both complement the consulate's list, notably for paediatricians and psychologists. Source

Addresses

  • Dr Rossana Tenconi

    Paediatrician

    Via Lipari 8 (Solari et Washington, 20144)

    Bilingual French-Italian paediatrician, Kairos Salute practice; the only paediatrician on the consulate's list.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Giovanna Fontana

    Paediatrician

    Via Angelo Mauri 3 (Pagano, 20144)

    Paediatrician, consults at the Milan Medical Center.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Cristian Pellegrini

    General practitioner

    Via Castelvetro 33 (Sempione et Procaccini, 20154)

    French-speaking general practitioner, practice a stone's throw from the Buzzi hospital; online booking.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Website Source

  • Dr Fabio Pellegrino

    General practitioner

    Via Lanzone 36 (Sant'Ambrogio, 20123)

    Family medicine and occupational medicine.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Ute Samtleben

    General practitioner

    Via Angelo Mauri 3 (Pagano, 20144)

    General practitioner, Milan Medical Center.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT, EN, DE

    Website Source

  • Dr Anne Weber

    General practitioner

    Via Lanzone 36 (Sant'Ambrogio, 20123)

    French general practitioner, home visits possible.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Clémence Robine

    Dentist

    Viale Montenero 8 (Porta Romana) et Piazza Sant'Agostino 1 (Sant'Agostino)

    Dentist, Studio Petrini and Centro medico Santagostino.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Website Source

  • Dr Françoise Lusardi

    Dentist

    Via Marghera 3 (Wagner, 20149)

    Dentist, steps from Wagner metro.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Vittorio Pellizzola

    Dentist

    Via Schiaparelli 17 (Stazione Centrale, 20125)

    Dentist, orthodontics.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Adele Succetti

    Psychologist

    Viale Gran Sasso 1 (Città Studi, 20131)

    Psychotherapist and psychologist for children, adolescents and adults.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Anne-Sophie Monnier

    Psychologist

    Via Sebastiano del Piombo 17 (Fiera et Wagner, 20149)

    Psychologist, psychotherapist and psychoanalyst.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Christine Stivanin

    Psychologist

    Via Washington 51 (De Angeli et Washington, 20146)

    Clinical psychologist, in the Lycée Stendhal's neighbourhood.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Valeria Pellegrini

    Psychologist

    Via Giotto 24 (Pagano, 20145)

    Psychotherapist for adolescents and adults.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Martine Falquerry

    Psychologist

    Via Bullona 8 (Sempione et Procaccini, 20154)

    Clinical psychologist for children and adults.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT

    Source

  • Dr Evelyn Falconi Klein

    Via Angelo Mauri 3 (Pagano, 20144)

    Dermatologist and allergist, Milan Medical Center: invaluable for children's eczema and allergies.

    Languages spoken : FR, IT, EN

    Website Source

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Pregnancy and maternity units

In Italy, pregnancy is followed in hospital through a percorso nascita, or at the ASST's consultorio familiare with midwives, and you choose your maternity unit early. Milan has several large public maternity units with neonatal intensive care, and maternity leave is generous.

Good to know

  • The percorso nascita opens by appointment at the maternity unit of your choice: at the Mangiagalli by phone or online form, at Niguarda via a call back from a midwife who assesses risk factors and books the first visit at the consultorio or hospital. Three ultrasounds are scheduled (before 12 weeks, anomaly scan between 19 and 21 weeks, then between 30 and 32). Source
  • Compulsory maternity leave lasts five months, two before and three after the birth or one before and four after, with the option of working until the eighth month on medical certificate; the allowance is 80% of salary, uncapped. The father has ten days of compulsory leave paid at 100%. Source
  • The assegno unico e universale is the allowance paid for each dependent child residing in Italy, scaled according to ISEE (means indicator); apply to INPS within 120 days of the birth and renewal is automatic. Source
  • After the birth, declared at the hospital or the Comune, request the registration of the certificate with the consulate (civil status service) so the child has a French birth certificate, then their entry on the register and passport. Source

Addresses

  • Clinica Mangiagalli, Policlinico di Milano

    Maternity

    Via della Commenda 12, 20122 Milano (Porta Romana, M3 Crocetta)

    The historic big maternity of the centre: care for low and high-risk pregnancies, antenatal classes, neonatal intensive care, 24/7 obstetric emergencies and an attached consultorio familiare; percorso nascita registration by phone or online.

    Website Source

  • Ospedale dei Bambini Vittore Buzzi, maternité

    Maternity

    Via Castelvetro 32, 20154 Milano (Sempione, M5 Cenisio)

    New delivery suite and renovated reception, maternal-fetal medicine centre of national reference, the children's hospital's neonatology on site; antenatal classes and combined test by appointment.

    Website Source

  • Ospedale Macedonio Melloni

    Maternity

    Via Macedonio Melloni 52, 20129 Milano (Porta Vittoria)

    Hospital entirely dedicated to women: five delivery rooms including one with a tub, full team 24/7 with neonatologist and anaesthetist, rooming-in, adjoining neonatal intensive care; stay of about two days after a spontaneous birth, three after a caesarean.

    Website Source

  • Ospedale Niguarda, Nascere a Niguarda

    Maternity

    Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162 Milano (nord, M5 Ca' Granda)

    Five delivery rooms including one with a tub, epidural available 24/7, permanent obstetric emergencies, neonatology, breastfeeding support, cultural and language mediators; care from early pregnancy via a phone appointment.

    Website Source

  • Ospedale San Paolo, maternité

    Maternity

    Via Antonio di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milano (sud, Barona)

    South Milan's maternity unit: free antenatal classes on prescription (training prenatale), one companion in the delivery room, nursery and an information booklet for new mothers.

    Website Source

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Pharmacies and medicines

The green cross is everywhere and the Italian pharmacist is happy to advise. Brands change: look for Tachipirina rather than Doliprane. At night and on Sundays, a regional app shows the nearest on-duty pharmacy.

Good to know

  • To find an open pharmacy, Federfarma Milano offers a search by address (Milan, Monza and Lodi) and the free FarmaciaAperta app from Federfarma Lombardia locates the nearest on-duty pharmacy at any time across the region. Source
  • Equivalents: Tachipirina (paracetamol, as syrup or suppositories for children) for Doliprane, Nurofen or Moment (ibuprofen) for Advil, soluzione fisiologica for saline. Over-the-counter medicines are also sold in parafarmacia and supermarkets; antibiotics remain prescription-only.
  • A prescription issued in France is valid in Italy if complete: patient's name and date of birth, date, prescriber's name, qualification, contact details and signature, and the medicine's common name rather than the brand. The pharmacist applies Italian rules and some products do not exist under the same name. Source
  • Prescriptions from the contracted paediatrician or GP are electronic and linked to the tessera sanitaria: for a class A medicine, you only pay any regional co-payment; children get exemptions by age and income. Source
  • At night, at weekends or on a public holiday, the 116117 doctor can prescribe treatment that cannot wait, for 48 to 72 hours, until you see the paediatrician again. Source

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Vaccines: how the schedule differs from France

The Italian schedule resembles the French one, with two differences that matter: ten vaccines are compulsory until age 16, chickenpox included, and without them a child cannot enter nursery or nursery school. Vaccinations are given in ASST centres, not at the paediatrician's.

Good to know

  • Since Law 119 of 2017, ten vaccinations are compulsory from 0 to 16: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, Haemophilus b, measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. Four others are recommended and free, with no penalty: meningococcal B, meningococcal C, pneumococcal and rotavirus. Source
  • Without the compulsory vaccines, no enrolment in nursery (nido) or nursery school (scuola dell'infanzia); from 6 to 16, the child is admitted to school but parents face a fine and are summoned by the ASL. Children already immune or with a contraindication are exempt. Source
  • Baby: hexavalent and pneumococcal in three doses in the first year, meningococcal B separately, rotavirus from six weeks; at one year, MMR-varicella and meningococcal ACWY; at five or six, a tetravalent booster and second MMR-varicella dose. The flu vaccine is offered every autumn to young children. Source
  • In adolescence: HPV for girls and boys from 11 to 12, a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-polio booster and meningococcal ACWY around 12 to 14. As in France, BCG is not routine. Source
  • Children's vaccinations are given free in the ASST vaccination centres, by invitation or appointment; the region publishes the list of centres and a booking portal. Bring the French carnet de santé: doses already received are recorded and the schedule adjusted, and the school may ask for a vaccination certificate. Source

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These landmarks do not replace the advice of a health professional. In an emergency, call the local emergency number shown above.

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Milan will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Milan, liste de notoriété médicale (30 janvier 2026)
  2. 2 Regione Lombardia, assistance sanitaire des citoyens communautaires et étrangers
  3. 3 Regione Lombardia, changer de médecin ou de pédiatre
  4. 4 ATS Milano, continuità assistenziale (116117)
  5. 5 CLEISS, le régime italien de sécurité sociale
  6. 6 ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Ospedale dei Bambini Vittore Buzzi
  7. 7 Istituto Superiore di Sanità, obligation vaccinale
  8. 8 lepetitjournal.com Milan, les médecins francophones de Milan

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