The Olbia air rescue service is increasingly being used for non-urgent transport missions to facilities outside the island, with direct consequences on the timeliness of rescue operations in Gallura. The alarm was raised by the regional councilor of Fratelli d'Italia, Cristina Usai, who presented a question to the Regional Council and Areus to request an immediate review of the logistics management of the service.
"A situation that is no longer tolerable," said Usai, "which is putting at risk the right to health of the citizens of Gallura and the many tourists who flock to the area, especially in the summer."
The numbers cited by the councilor show that in 2023, 50 flights outside the region were carried out, while as of May 30, 2025, there were already 49, confirming a clear growth trend. The period between June 4 and 12 was particularly critical, when the helicopter carried out six medical transfers outside Sardinia, resulting unavailable for over seven hours.
During these absences, in several locations in Gallura – including Palau, La Maddalena, Calangianus and Arzachena – helicopters from Alghero or Cagliari had to intervene, extending response times up to 35 minutes, a length of time deemed unacceptable in serious emergency situations.
«Helicopter rescue – Usai underlined – must be reserved exclusively for emergency interventions, while scheduled or non-urgent transports could be entrusted to private operators, equipped with cheaper means and more suitable for that type of service».
Currently, three helicopter rescue bases operate in Sardinia (Olbia, Alghero and Cagliari), but Gallura – according to the FdI councilor – remains the most exposed area due to the lack of immediate coverage , despite the greater incidence of health emergencies linked to road traffic, the morphology of the territory and the strong tourist pressure.
The question asks the Region to intervene on Areus , the regional emergency-urgency agency, to ensure the constant presence of an operational helicopter in Gallura, remodulating the current logistics strategy and preventing the helicopter rescue from being diverted for missions that distort its original function.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)