Above each stroller, about fifty, strong phrases: "Without care, childhood dies out", "A living country has protected children", "Where children are not born, the country dies" .
A powerful image, an action desired by the many parents of children who have been without a pediatrician for months and who today decided to raise their voices, tired of crowding the emergency room at San Martino Hospital in Oristano even for a simple fever. Tired of being left alone.
The demonstration, during which a signature collection was also launched to be sent to the mayors of the area, to the ASL and to the prefect, was not organised today by chance: in Baratili, at 12, the mayors of the Oristano Health District and the heads of the ASL met precisely to address the problems linked to the shortage of paediatricians.
<p>The protest (Photo by Sara Pinna) </p>During the summit, a sobering fact emerged: the last pediatrician to arrive in Oristano , Gaia Serrau, last December 1st, who only assists children in area one (Oristano, Palmas Arborea, Santa Giusta, Siamanna, Siapiccia, Simaxis and Villaurbana) still has 600 places available .
A paradox that further angered the many parents present. Alessio Fanari, a father and organizer of the demonstration, addressed the mayors before the start of their meeting: "We are here because we feel abandoned. I want to remind you that there is no pediatric emergency room in Oristano. What we have is a pediatric department, with other functions, which is trying to proactively provide support, to offer a minimal response. But this cannot be the way forward. We demand that each municipality approve an official resolution in its council, addressed to the Prefect and regional political bodies, to ensure that the emergency ends. You are not spectators; you are local health authorities. If you don't use your powers, the responsibility for the emergency will fall on us, on our children, and on the future of our countries."
<p>The protest (Photo by Sara Pinna) </p>The mayors, however, refuse to have their fingers pointed at them. Bauladu's mayor, Ignazio Zara, said: "The situation is serious, but the problem shouldn't be blamed on the mayors." Solarussa's mayor, Mario Tendas, said: "We are not the scapegoat."
ASL Special Commissioner Federico Argiolas : "There's an emergency, there's no point denying it. But it's also true that we 've tried various options . For example, there hasn't been a large willingness to hold pediatric Ascots. It's also worth noting that calls for proposals are always open, but no one is applying . Perhaps also because rents are high in the city. We're also trying to organize community homes where a pediatrician will be available." Finally, Argiolas promised that he will investigate whether Dr. Serrau will also be able to care for the children in the second area.
<p>The summit between mayors and local health authority managers (Photo by Sara Pinna) </p>