The emergency room at San Martino in Oristano is increasingly strained. The effects of the 11 temporary hires by Local Health Authority 5 are still not being felt. And the staff, left in the trenches, are exhausted. "The situation is unsustainable; just look at the shifts," explains Marco Obinu, company secretary for CimoFes. "Most night shifts have one doctor on duty; during the day, only two are available."
The problems
Until a few days ago, two doctors were scheduled at night and three during the day. "It is unacceptable that the main emergency room in the Oristano area can be staffed by a single doctor at night, who must simultaneously treat a wide variety of cases," reads the statement, also signed by Giampiero Sulis of the regional secretariat. The emergency did not arise by chance. "The end of the use of paid doctors was known for months; it was clear that without an extraordinary reorganization plan, the system would suffer. Yet nothing was planned." The union has always been critical of the "paid doctors"—"an emergency and costly response, even though in recent years it has been the only way to avoid the closure of Sardinian emergency rooms," Obinu and Sulis reiterate. "Eliminating that system without an alternative means shifting the burden onto employed doctors and the citizens. What is happening in Oristano demonstrates the failure of healthcare planning over the years." CimoFes has long denounced the critical issues. "Meanwhile, politics continues to portray different realities: it should address the problems, not minimize them." Finally, the appeal to Regional President Todde.
The replica
Grazia Cattina, director of ASL 5, recalls that a solution to the "pay-as-you-go" problem has been sought for months. "With five doctors employed at the Oristano emergency room, one in Bosa, and none at the Ghilarza first aid station, without the paid doctors, the facilities would likely have been closed. Instead, the service is guaranteed at the three hospitals," she states. In Oristano, the calls for applications for foreign professionals and the Ares call for applications have yielded "good results," she emphasizes. "Eleven professionals have been contracted, but recruitment is not yet complete. We are aware of the critical issues and have implemented other organizational support measures."
