The state of health of the Sardinian healthcare system raises many concerns . The regional coordinator of the Network of the Court for the Rights of the Patient of Cittadinanzattiva Sardegna ODV ETS, Giorgio Pia , knows this well, having sent a letter to the regional councilor for Health, Carlo Doria and to the heads of the health companies. The invitation in the message is to address the healthcare emergency in Sardinia by stemming the «political solutions, which are not solutions, adopted without discussion with those who work in healthcare. Before it's too late".
According to what Pia wrote, «the state of health of healthcare in Sardinia is dramatic. Political and administrative leaders of the regional health system must take a step back and admit that the problems exist, in all their gravity. And also a step forward, towards an operational and constructive discussion with the representatives of those who work in the hospital and in the ward every day. But also with the associations carrying the requests of patients and operators. Only in this way, to stick to the medical metaphor, can effective therapies be identified to deal with a pathology otherwise destined to be irreversible. And we will also be able to try to recover that citizens' trust in the healthcare system which now seems lost, not because of those who work in the field but as a consequence of choices made from above which, if necessary - and not always right - during the difficult period of Covid, are irrational in the current historical phase. Politicians and leaders, stop, then. And we find solutions."
«In recent months – continues the regional coordinator – newspaper reports have highlighted numerous critical issues in Sardinian healthcare. Anyone who wears a lab coat knows it: the news reaching the editorial offices represents only part of the difficulties experienced - by patients and operators - inside the doors of the departments. However, two issues raised deserve a brief in-depth discussion. One concerns the Microcitemic of Cagliari , with particular reference to Pediatric Oncohematology . On the one hand we have seen the complaints from the mothers of the young patients, whose sole purpose was to ask for help and intervention. In short, they asked for the healthcare system to be the healthcare system. Especially when there was an absence of anesthesiologists for the removal of venous catheters: the shortages forced children to wait long and make burdensome sacrifices, in a condition of fragility that was already painful in itself. Their voices were joined by those of the resuscitation anesthetists. An unacceptable state of affairs, caused by the spin-off of Microcitemico: the anesthetists are "lent" by Brotzu and they are not enough, the hospital is part of ASL 8. A limbo that has only created problems: the Regional Council has voted to straighten out the distortion evident, even if someone managed to abstain, and things have not yet changed".
«Many cancer patients – explains Pia in the letter – who need radiotherapy are unable to access the therapies due to the length of the waiting lists and are forced to go elsewhere to be able to guarantee the necessary care. The responses of Councilor Carlo Doria to these problems do not appear convincing and seem aimed mostly at questioning the truthfulness of the basis of the complaints of the patients and their families. Displayed in the Prosecutor's Office and street demonstrations: extreme reactions from those who no longer have faith in the system. Another important topic that has made headlines concerns the emergency rooms: interminable queues, 118 rescuers blocked for hours waiting for the patient to be taken care of. And then doctors, nurses and health workers forced to work exhausting shifts to deal with the sacrosanct urgencies of users. Problems that are linked to the absence of local medicine."
«In February, Councilor Carlo Doria, through a council resolution, had taken up the document published by the 2019 State-Regions Conference relating to the guidelines on Triage in Emergency Departments, which had therefore remained unapplied for 4 years. There was talk of the five access codes for the homogeneous management of Triage: the intentions remained on paper. The failure to activate the Fast track is also linked to this. At a time of greater influx to the emergency room, this measure would allow quicker and more effective assistance. Those images of overcrowding and endless waiting to which we are dramatically accustomed must become just a bad memory. Only professionals can contribute to improving everyone's conditions: those who work and those who want to be cared for. This is why we are launching an appeal: let's sit together (politicians, healthcare companies, representatives of doctors, nurses and health workers, patient associations) and find solutions together. There are no other roads. The others lead to defeat, to the denial of the right to health protected by the Constitution", concludes the coordinator.
(Unioneonline/vf)