"They saved my life." Paolo Colombino, 66, addressed these words and expressed his gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and healthcare assistants of the Nephrology department who treated him from November 27th to December 6th at the Santissima Annunziata Hospital in Sassari.
"I hear nothing but criticism of the hospital staff, and I want to deny what's been said. They were incredibly professional," says the man, originally from Porto Torres but a longtime resident of the city.
Colombino experienced days of great suffering and danger due to a bacterium that had taken root in his body, causing a potentially lethal infection . "I was completely dehydrated, and when I called 911 at 4 a.m., the pain was unbearable." Kidney failure was rapidly approaching, with the potentially fatal consequences that can entail. And as soon as we arrived at the hospital, Paolo recalls, "the treatment I will never forget" began. "They devoted themselves to me and the other patients 24 hours a day. They never abandoned us for a second."
For the 66-year-old, a retired Tirrenia employee, medical care, along with the humanity, were crucial. "They were exceptional, never hiding anything from me about what I had, but always being there for me." Six IVs a day were administered to the man who, as he notes, "took a huge risk." "When after 10 days they told me, 'Mr. Colombino, we made it,' I even shed a tear."
Safe, then, thanks to the staff of the department, to whom Colombino wishes to express his gratitude. "I've seen the conditions they work in and perform miracles, from the emergency room to all the other facilities. If healthcare doesn't work in Sardinia, it's certainly not their fault."