Air conditioning is back at Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari. The hospital, gripped by the extreme heat of recent days and with its air conditioning system out of order , can now breathe a sigh of relief and prepare for a gradual return to normalcy . The hospital itself announced the news in a statement, updating on the progress made in the last few hours: "A technical issue affecting the chilled water distribution system for air conditioning in some departments of the San Michele Hospital has been identified and resolved. The situation in the departments is returning to normal."
The good news comes after the Nursing Up union filed a complaint, which alerted the ASL's Spresal (Health and Safety Agency)—the agency responsible for workplace safety —and the NAS Carabinieri (Nas Carabinieri) to the difficult conditions in which doctors, nurses, and other staff were forced to work, "after a month of fruitless reports and no effective action." According to the union, this situation had caused temperatures in some departments to reach 32 degrees Celsius. Nursing Up also reported the discomfort experienced by healthcare workers, with doctors forced to work "with ice packs in their uniform pockets" and others with "a towel around their necks" to try to alleviate the heat and tamp down sweat.
The problem primarily affected some facilities located farthest from the main chilled water collector, including Vascular Surgery and Gastroenterology, which were most affected by the heatwave. The technical intervention was completed the same day, and the situation in the wards is gradually returning to normal . "Arnas," the statement continues, "is aware of the inconvenience such high temperatures can cause to hospitalized patients, their families, and the healthcare workers who provide daily care. For this reason, in addition to restoring the system, continuous monitoring of operating parameters has been ordered, with particular attention to temperature stability in the affected wards." To prevent further malfunctions, the technical office, in addition to strengthening its presence, will increase periodic checks on the systems and power plants.
(Unioneonline/vf)
