The boy, along with his father, arrived at the rehabilitation facilities of the Bambino Gesù children's hospital in Rome on December 7. The two had been staying at the Pozzallo hotspot on Lampedusa after landing on the island on November 5.

The seven-year-old is tetraplegic, meaning that he is severely paralysed.

Tested negative for COVID-19

The transfer was made possible after an appeal by Italian politicians to find a way to provide suitable care for the young boy.

Erasmo Palazzotto, who sits in the national parliament for the left-wing group Liberi e Uguali (Free and Equal), had raised the issue on December 5, asking for the child to be taken to appropriate facilities.

Pozzallo mayor Roberto Ammatuna said that the facilities had already been found by the interior ministry and the prefect's office, but the results of a COVID-19 test were pending.

Both father and son tested negative. The health ministry then transfered the two to Rome.

Praise for father

The boy's case was followed closely by the Pozzallo mayor, who is also a doctor.

Ammatuna praised the behaviour of the boy's father, who "took care of his son at every moment."

"Unfortunately," the mayor said, "his disability allows for only limited kinds of rehabilitation."

Lazio region health councillor Alessio D'Amato reportedly kept in close contact with the directors of the Bambino Gesù hospital for information on the transfer procedure and the condition of the boy's health.

Migrant boy 'now in good hands'

"To the Bambino Gesù children's hospital, pride of the healthcare system of our region, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for the latest great act of human solidarity and healthcare efficiency. The little boy is now in good hands and surely in a very different environment from the ones he has thus far seen," D'Amato said.

Health undersecretary Sandra Zampa said she was certain that the child would receive "excellent care" and thanked the Rome children's hospital.