The Sardinian healthcare system has taken in—and promised to resolve—a disabled girl from Sassari who needs dental work. Her mother was desperate: despite her immense suffering, the waiting list was three years.
A happy ending? Well, really. According to reports, the situation was resolved by Labor Councilor Desirè Manca , who, upon learning the news (which was shared in a popular Sassari Facebook group), personally called the health director of the relevant hospital, facilitating a resolution to the problem. The girl's mother made the arrangements public, thanking the Labor Councilor and the health director for their intervention.
This is a modus operandi that Forza Italia regional councilor Piero Maieli doesn't like at all. He reconstructs the facts in a harsh statement:
"I am deeply pleased to learn that a little girl, after an interminable wait and considerable suffering, has finally received attention and the concrete prospect of a solution," the Forza Italia representative began. "Every step forward, when the health of a minor, and not only that, is at stake, is always good news."
That said, Maieli adds: "I can't ignore the method by which all this happened: not a standard process, not a clear and accessible procedure, but the sudden and decisive intervention of the 'right' person. If this is truly the new standard," accuses the regional councilor, "then it would be fair to call it by its true name: 'Cup Manca,' a special service activated not by right, but by contact."
The critical issues facing Sardinia's healthcare system are painfully well known. "Then, suddenly, a phone call from the labor councilor manages to move forward in a matter of hours what had been stalled for months," Maieli accuses. "A sort of administrative miracle that makes me wonder what role this member of the regional government is really playing? A traveling opposition figure? Or a sort of shadow councilor, always ready to intervene on a case-by-case basis to make up for what's broken? It's wonderful that this little girl is getting what she deserves. It's a relief for everyone. Less so, however, for the hundreds of people who don't have direct numbers, strategic knowledge, or providential interventions. For them, there's no shortcut; all they have to do is wait."
Enrico Fresu
