Operating rooms at Alghero's Civil Hospital were forced to shut down due to power outages and brownouts. This situation was denounced in a statement by former Regional Council President and Lega councilor Michele Pais, who spoke after surgical operations were suspended due to an overload on the city's power grid.
"This is an unprecedented situation," Pais attacks, "and the energy distributor must explain and find solutions. It's incomprehensible that a hospital should shut down because the city's grid is under pressure during peak consumption periods." According to the Northern League representative, the problem is exacerbated by the energy peaks Alghero experiences during the summer, with direct repercussions on the hospital and the entire healthcare system in northwest Sardinia. These critical issues are also causing the transfer of activities and patients to Sassari, placing further pressure on the Santissima Annunziata hospital. "The Sassari hospital cannot also take on Alghero's operations," Pais emphasizes, calling for immediate structural intervention from Enel Distribuzione. The proposal is to build a primary substation dedicated exclusively to the hospital, making the healthcare facility independent from the city grid.
"It's the only permanent solution to secure the facility and ensure continuity of healthcare services," he emphasizes. In the meantime, however, urgent stopgap measures are needed. Pais calls for the acquisition of uninterruptible power supplies capable of sustaining the energy loads required for healthcare operations, avoiding further disruptions that could prove dangerous, even during surgical procedures. In this phase, the Marino Hospital in Alghero is playing a crucial role, absorbing non-transportable emergencies.
"Once again, the Marino is saving the Civile," Pais confirms, recalling the investments made in the facility's operating rooms. This is why the councilor is pushing for the completion of the renovation of the Marino operating block. "There is €4.5 million in funding, but so far, about €1.75 million has been spent on just one operating room. We need to complete a strategic investment for the local area."
