A statement of "serious concern." A formal warning. And a request for an urgent meeting, addressed to the Arnas Brotzu management, to address the "numerous critical issues." The conditions at the Microcitemico hospital —particularly the child neuropsychiatric ward—have come under fire from the unions following a complaint from Asarp, which called it a "place unworthy of a civilized country."
The criticisms of the CISL
The critical issues, Luciano Serra of the CISL-FP union, attacks, "affect the organization of care, patient safety, the dignity of families, and the conditions in which staff are required to perform their work on a daily basis." The problem isn't the staff, but the structural and organizational conditions in which they are forced to work. Moreover, they are few: insufficient in number "compared to the number and type of users, the complexity of clinical conditions, and the intensity of care required. We also understand that audits have already been conducted and reports on existing critical issues have been made; however, at present, there are no adequate interventions to fully address the issues raised."
The guidelines of the Italian Society of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, the union representative continues, "affirm that the hospitalization of a minor with an acute psychiatric disorder must take place in an environment appropriate to their age and developmental level, capable of providing educational and psychological activities, individual and group therapy, pharmacological treatment, and family support. Hospitalization must also be accompanied by true continuity of care between the hospital and the community." Instead, "asking a parent to stay with their child 24/7, without ensuring a suitable place to sleep, private toilet facilities, and minimal living conditions, means transforming the family's collaboration into an additional care and human burden. It also exposes workers and coordinators to responsibilities and tensions that cannot be resolved through individual availability alone." The CISL's concern "is not limited to neuropsychiatry. We ask that this attention also be extended to the Pediatric Oncohematology Unit and the Thalassemia Center, verifying their staffing, reception capacity, structural conditions, and development prospects."
Fials on the stairlift
Access to the hospital on Via Jenner is also difficult for those with walking difficulties. The provincial secretary of FIALS, Paolo Cugliara, has sent a formal warning to the general director of ARNAS, Maurizio Marcias, reporting the malfunction of the stairlift at the entrance, which has been blocked for some time. Furthermore, in recent days, Cugliara had also reported numerous potentially dangerous situations involving unsafe electrical outlets, leaks, and breaches of privacy, with medical records being stored in unsuitable locations.
The USB complaint
USB's worker safety representative, Gianfranco Angioni, had already raised concerns about the Microcitemico hospital. He also requested a discussion with company management, citing "a video surveillance system with possible inadequately monitored areas, unsuitable fixtures and locking systems, conditions in the wards that are inadequate for healthcare needs, the presence of furnishings that don't meet the facility's needs, and the storage/deposit of medical records and health documentation in unsuitable locations, with potential critical issues regarding confidentiality protection, proper document management, the security of the premises, and the adequacy of the spaces designated for healthcare activities."