The situation of general medicine in the Upper Oristano area is increasingly dramatic . On December 1, the last female doctor who guaranteed the opening of the clinic between Busachi and Fordongianus retired and now another 1,550 patients are left without a family doctor . A situation that sees the mayors join forces with the citizens.
Concern is strong, above all if one takes into account that in these centers the population is mainly elderly and there are also some very problematic situations. From the ASL they let it be known that everything possible is being done to find a solution, but at the moment a new doctor has not yet been identified.
"They don't know how to do it. The biggest problem is for my brother who suffers from ALS. The family doctor guided us in everything, now for emergencies we will have to call 118 and for the rest go to the medical guard», explains Antonietta Figus residing in Neoneli with her family but originally from Busachi where everyone, including her mother and brother , they had the doctor.
Pina Vacca di Fordongianus points out: «It is a very difficult situation . My husband is a frail patient and has weekly medication needs. Now we are in disarray , we will have to go to the medical guard and queue at night. The doctor is essential especially for the elderly and frail patients».
The fellow villager Pinuccia Dessì takes the same line: « Health care is in shambles and this, especially for the elderly, is a really bad situation. It's absurd to think that they queue up at night for the emergency doctor. And there are those who are making huge queues in Ghilarza these days, trying to get the doctor».
Giovanna Piga is the last doctor to retire . «The situation is dramatic, worsened in the two years of Covid, a period in which I have always guaranteed the opening of the clinics in Busachi and Fordongianus. There are also many bedridden patients, my heart aches to leave them . The Region must wake up and put doctors in a position to do their job, leaving aside all the added bureaucracy. Too much work is being poured into general practitioners that should be done by others ».
The mayor of Busachi Giovanni Orrù already denounced the emergency situation months ago and asked for answers . «Let's continue the battle to find solutions to the absence of so many general practitioners. The situation is dramatic, especially for the elderly who have difficulty moving to reach other centres. We have asked that the health management activate the daytime medical guards at least twice a week at this time and that public hygiene proceed with vaccinations ». On Busachi's situation, the ASL explains : «With adequate advance notice, the ASL, through Ares, has published a tender for the filling of the post , which is still open as it is proceeding with the notification procedure which remains valid until obtains the availability of a doctor who possesses the appropriate requisites. No availability has been shown so far. The tender was publicized through all institutional and non-institutional channels: the notice was published on the Ares and Asl websites, disseminated through the chats of emergency medical doctors and trainees and the collaboration of the Medical Association was requested to involve all subscribers. All possible options have been investigated to obtain the availability of a doctor ». Then they add: «Furthermore, in the territorial area in which the Municipality of Busachi falls, the ceiling of citizens who can be assisted by each doctor has been increased , from 1,500 to 1,800 people. Finally, the management of the Ghilarza-Bosa social-health district has already requested in good time to the doctors of continuity of care (medical guard) of the Ardauli, Fordongianus and Ghilarza points that the patients assisted by the absent doctor are ensured the services and health prescriptions of which they need, and to the Ares Conventional Medicine Service that continuity of care is activated in the same three centers even during the day".