A new case is about to explode and risks further crippling Sardinia's healthcare system, paralyzing primary care across the island.
For three months, doctors at Ascot, the emergency territorial continuity clinics that provide care to patients without a GP, have not been paid . And starting in March, they could resign or go on indefinite strike.
Forza Italia regional councilor Piero Maieli raised the alarm: "They face daily expenses to get to their places of work. Their collaboration was asked for and they gave it, but they are not paid."
There are 150 doctors who are threatened with a state of agitation starting next month , the Forza Italia councilor defines the fact as "extremely serious".
"Direct healthcare provision across the region is at risk of paralysis," Maieli denounces, announcing the resignations of the 150 doctors certified for Ascot. "These professionals will also begin an indefinite strike starting March 1st, demanding payments for past due fees and expenses that have not been paid for three months due to the failure to refinance the specific fund ."
On this point, a response from the Region arrived, which reads: "The Region is aware of the delays in payments that have occurred in some territorial areas and recognizes the difficulties that these situations may have caused for doctors in service."
"These delays," the statement continues, "are not attributable to a lack of regional resources or to failures by the Region, but rather to a transitional administrative phase related to the implementation of the new financial provisions associated with the Regional Agreement for General Medicine."
"In particular," the RAS further explains, "the transition to the new structure envisaged by the Agreement has required the healthcare authorities to adapt their budgeting tools and procedures for advancing resources allocated to the ASCOTs, pending the full conclusion and implementation of the Agreement itself. This process has led, in some cases, to a delay in the payment of claims."
It is important to emphasize that the ASCOT service is not at risk. With the signing of the regional agreement with general practitioners, concluded in recent months after a long wait, the resources allocated to ASCOT have been significantly increased, from €3 million to €6 million. The funds will cover the 2025 and 2026 financial years, which are currently being distributed to healthcare authorities, and will ensure the continuity of ASCOT projects and other interventions under the agreement . The resources are duly entered into the regional budget law, and the claim that the regional budget does not provide coverage for the payment of doctors working in ASCOT is untrue.
(Unionine)