March 6, 2008

Good luck finding Ultimina Dalla Pria's name on one of these. Despite being officially dead in Italy for 25 years, she's still alive and kicking.

An elderly Italian woman is quarrelling with local officials claiming that their reports of her death are greatly exaggerated, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. 

While recently trying to get a health card at the a national health office, the woman -- 80-year-old Ultimina Dalla Pria of Ferrara -- was told that she'd officially been dead since 1983.

Dalla Pria protested and figured the very fact that she was standing there might move the bureaucrats to correct the error. She was wrong.

"There was nothing I could do. I showed my identity card while repeating a number of times that there must have been a mistake, but the employee didn't budge," Dalla Pria told the Resto del Carlino daily.

To prove she is alive, Dalla Pria will have to jump through more hoops than befits a woman her age. First, she'll have to get files from the public records office to prove she's not dead. Then, she'll have to get a lawyer to help her file copies of official documents at the public health office vouching for her un-dead status. 

Until all the papers go through, Dalla Pria won't be eligible to receive free prescription medicines, as you need a national health card for that in Italy as of January 1, 2008.

"I hope my doctor can find a way around this," Dalla Pria said, according to ANSA.

And let's hope they do it molto veloce!

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