A farewell that feels very much like a farewell. Dr. Alice Laconi is leaving her position as a primary care physician in Villanova Tulo. The thirty-one-year-old specialist, born in Isili and now living in Nuragus, wrote to her patients: "I'm leaving because I need to spend more time with my children. At this point in my life, I feel like I need to put my profession on hold. It's like this now, but it won't be forever. I love my work, and it has always given me great satisfaction."
The process
A difficult choice for her, who, having just graduated at 25, began wearing a white coat to do exactly what she loved: being a family doctor. First Seulo and Esterzili, and finally arriving at Villanova Tulo in September 2021. This was a particularly challenging time, given the lack of general practitioners in many towns. During this assignment, Alice became a mother, but a sense of duty brought her back to her desk immediately, just four months after the birth of both her daughter and her second child.
The commitment
"Everyone is convinced," says the young doctor, "that work is limited to office hours, but instead it's continuous, often in the office, at home, or over the phone." This workload stems from a lack of sufficient primary care specialists to cater to the many patients: in many inland municipalities, everything falls to a single doctor.
"We're freelancers," added Dr. Laconi, "as such, we can't take advantage of breastfeeding time or sick leave. All we can do is find a replacement and pay them, and in areas like ours, it's difficult to find someone who can take our place."
According to Alice Laconi, working in these areas is "sacrificing and all-consuming. Here, you're effectively a family doctor; you truly build a close and trusting relationship with your patients. Financial protection isn't always the solution; more is needed." When there were at least two doctors in the village, they supported each other; the absence of one was covered by the other. Today, this option has become a luxury. "In the city," the young doctor added, "colleagues have each other's backs. Perhaps here too, we should learn to work more as a team, even though the villages in our area are far from each other."
The letter
To inform the community of her decision, Alice wrote a letter, fully aware of her inconvenience at a time when doctors are a rare and precious commodity. First, she thanked her patients and the municipal administration, and then explained her decision to prioritize her family's needs and the importance of her presence at home with her children.
"It's a shocking decision," she said, "because I'm a family doctor, yet there are many women, both self-employed and otherwise, who find themselves in my situation, and they don't always have the help they need."
In the village
Unexpected understanding and support from patients and the administration itself, led by Alberto Loddo. "We talked," said the mayor, "she explained the reasons for her decision, and we can only thank her for what she has done for our community." What will happen in Villanova Tulo after May 15th, the day Alice Laconi leaves her post, has a name: Ascot (Extraordinary Community Outpatient Clinic). A service already active in other towns, albeit with its own set of "buts" and "ifs." In Sadali and Seulo, two nearby communities, the service was active on April 1st from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., five hours for two communities and for one day only. The motto was "no feeling sick." This is how healthcare "works" in the small towns of inland Sardinia.
Sonia Gioia
