"This is an unacceptable, unbelievable situation that is causing desperation among seriously ill patients and their families. It is unacceptable and inhumane that a patient with ALS must wait over 14 hours in an emergency room , treated with a negligence I have no hesitation in calling shameful."
This is the complaint by Alessandro Sorgia , regional councilor for the Brothers of Italy party, who reconstructs the incident: "Yesterday evening, a patient who had been suffering from ALS for over twenty years, who had a tracheotomy and was completely dependent on healthcare, was transported by ambulance to the emergency room for a serious and painful emergency. From 6 PM until the following morning, the patient was left in the waiting room . Only after more than 14 hours of waiting, and following the desperate insistence of the family, who literally had to shake the attention of the emergency room doctors," Sorgia explains, "did a doctor finally approach the patient."
The FdI councilor then points the finger at what he believes are "the structural causes of this disaster," denouncing the dismantling of a care network that for years would have protected patients: "The scientific community and the most astute health authorities have long maintained that ALS patients should never go through the Emergency Room but should be sent directly to the Intensive Care Unit."
"This common-sense protocol has been blatantly ignored," Sorgia states. "For about 30 years, home care relied on the 'Critical Area' project for ALS patients , supported by the dedication of volunteer nurses who provided vital assistance to families even outside of working hours. About a year ago, due to an incomprehensible management order, it was decided to cancel this project, prohibiting staff from working outside of working hours and requiring everything to be done exclusively during regular shifts.
(Unioneonline/AD)
