For six years, elderly and frail patients from the Barbagia-Mandrolisai area have been waiting for a physiatrist to arrive in the Sorgono Health District. The service resumed in recent days thanks to an agreement between the Local Health Authority (ASL 3) and the Cagliari University Hospital (AOU), which secured the arrival of Giuliana Salis, director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with a specialty in rheumatology. Outpatient visits are scheduled to resume every Wednesday at the clinic from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The choice
For Salis, a native of Ogliastra, an osteoporosis expert with decades of experience at the University Campus, experience in Paris, and participation in major international conferences, this is a return to her roots. From 2003 to 2004, Sorgono was one of her workplaces, before continuing her career in the Cagliari hinterland. She expresses her satisfaction at beginning a journey supporting 13 municipalities, including the Barigadu centers. "I found a hospital that is willing to resist and not give up in the face of difficulties," says Salis, fresh from her first day of visits and the welcome from healthcare managers and volunteers. "When I was asked to return to Sorgono, I didn't think twice. I wanted to contribute to an area often far from major healthcare services, but where colleagues working in various fields give their all for the citizens." She adds: "It's a demanding commitment, but certainly rewarding, seeing the proud looks of the patients who repay you for your long days. This initial phase will certainly be followed by a more consolidated commitment." He explains: "This is an area with a high longevity rate and many frail individuals who require not only preventative care but also post-traumatic care. Many elderly people often lose their independence, forced into long periods of immobility. Greater attention will be paid to those suffering from osteoporosis and fragile bones, with rehabilitation treatments."
Satisfaction
Paola Raspitzu, the district director, expressed her satisfaction: "I express my gratitude to the doctor for choosing us and to the Cagliari University Hospital for the agreement." The SOS Committee is confident: "After appointing the director of the facility, the Local Health Authority 3 has fulfilled another commitment we've long expressed concern about. With the physiatry department, the hospital will gain another valuable asset."
Giorgio Ignazio Onano