Sardinia lacks more than 500 general practitioners and over 50 pediatricians, and public facilities lack staff and beds. Approximately 320,000 Sardinians, or 20 percent of the population, forgo treatment, while healthcare migration is increasing.
These are the data presented by the Coordination of Sardinian Committees for Public Health before the Regional Council's Health and Social Policies Committee. The committees expressed concern about the termination of contracts for "pay-as-you-go" doctors , which could cause serious difficulties, especially in emergency rooms.
Regarding the shortage of specialist doctors , the committee representatives recalled that in Italy approximately 50 thousand specialist doctors cannot be fully employed in the public health service, while hospitals suffer from a growing lack of staff and the risk of burnout among established doctors .
Among the demands made to politicians are the revitalization of community medicine and the establishment of community centers, avoiding separate management of community and primary care. Municipalities should have not only a consultative role but also a proactive role in local healthcare decisions.
According to Carla Fundoni (Democratic Party), president of the commission, the reorganization of local healthcare must take into account Sardinia's specific geographic characteristics and guarantee adequate essential levels of care in all areas, with particular attention to the most disadvantaged.
In the next budget adjustment, he said, another 100 million will be available for Sardinian healthcare.
(Unioneonline/An.De)