A department that's half shutting down. Since Monday, the Pulmonology Department at San Francesco Hospital in Nuoro has been operating at reduced capacity: fewer beds (half), nighttime activities suspended, and limited services . This decision stems from a shortage of doctors , but it raises alarm bells about a healthcare system that is increasingly strained in Nuoro and the surrounding Nuoro area.
The official communication came from the management of the hospital, led by director Antonella Tatti, who arranged a series of changes - for now temporary - to the activity in light of the further "reduction in medical staff on staff at the Pneumology Unit" .
Specifically, night shifts are suspended , replaced by emergency staffing limited to the ward. Admissions and consultations between 8:00 PM and 8:00 AM are also suspended. Emergency staffing for the Bronchology department during the night and on holidays is also suspended. At the same time, the number of regular beds is being reduced from 22 to 10 , with the exception of wards for tuberculosis patients.
Management has clarified that these are temporary measures, assuring that they will communicate when full operations resume. But the decision immediately sparked debate. Roberto Capelli, a member of the "Another Sardinia – Another Nuoro" movement , denounced the situation, calling it the "tip of the iceberg" of a broader crisis. "We're not dealing with a simple organizational problem," he states, "but with the progressive decline of a healthcare facility that is essential for Nuoro and the entire region." According to Capelli, what's happening in the Pulmonary Department reflects a condition that has long affected the San Francesco Hospital and, more generally, the healthcare system in Nuoro and Sardinia.
The main focus is on the consequences for residents: the reduction in hospital beds and the limitation of nighttime operations risk directly impacting the care of frail patients, the elderly, and patients requiring timely treatment . Hence the appeal to regional and healthcare institutions: "The shortage of doctors is not a new phenomenon, just like the flight of professionals," he emphasizes, "but today it is producing increasingly serious and visible effects." The request is for immediate action, with clear responsibilities and a special plan to save struggling departments. Meanwhile, as management talks about a temporary reorganization, concerns are growing about the sustainability of services. "The right to healthcare," Capelli concludes, "cannot operate on reduced hours."