Deterioration, neglect, an icebox in winter and a furnace in summer. This is the image that, for years now, the residents of Esterzili have encountered every time they cross—or attempt to cross—the threshold of the local health authority clinic on Via Fra Antonio Maria.
A facility that should guarantee care and safety, yet, according to Mayor Renato Melis's formal complaint, has been transformed into a place "in such a degraded state that it exposes users to constant risks."
The mayor, who is also responsible for the municipal technical department, doesn't mince his words: rusty gates, deteriorated railings, unsafe stairs, and a stairlift for the disabled "present but unusable for years."
And, despite repeated reports over time, nothing would change.
But the problem isn't limited to architectural barriers. On cold days—like the ones we've had in recent weeks—the clinic would turn into a veritable refrigerator due to the inoperative heating system.
"People come in healthy and leave sick," Melis complains, also highlighting how many users are forced to remain outside waiting their turn.
It's not just the citizens who would suffer the consequences of this neglect: even the healthcare workers, who provide just two ASCOT shifts a week, would find themselves working under extreme conditions . "I wonder how a doctor can cope in these situations," the mayor wrote.
Melis therefore calls for the immediate implementation of all necessary measures to restore safety, functionality, and adequate sanitary conditions to a facility essential to the mountain community.