There's barely time to catch a breath and the race is already underway for control of the remaining uncovered companies: Cagliari, Sassari, and Olbia. These are the three most important local health authorities in Sardinia. Cagliari's, in particular, encompasses a territory of seventy municipalities and 540,000 inhabitants. In theory, given that of the appointments made on December 31st (in the other five local health authorities, at Areus and Brotzu), only one is attributable to the Democratic Party—Paolo Cannas in Sulcis—it's reasonable to assume that the Democrats will want to have their say on the last three. But it's not a given that Alessandra Todde and the Five Star Movement won't put up any resistance.
The favorite
The Regional President would not mind if the recently dismissed commissioner, Aldo Atzori, were confirmed at Local Health Authority 8. Ten days ago, she made her first official appearance as interim health commissioner with him, for the health authority's social and healthcare conference. On that occasion, the manager outlined "the projects completed during his eight-month term, including the implementation of the plan to recover thirty thousand advance appointments for visits and tests." He also explained that for the future, "the goal is to move beyond the hospital-centric model, strengthen the local network, work towards integration between healthcare levels and social services, develop community care and telemedicine models to meet local needs, reduce inappropriate hospital access, and ensure continuity of care." Specifically, "with the creation of community homes and community hospitals, we must accelerate the activation of the facilities envisaged by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to strengthen the presence of general practitioners and pediatricians in the island's peripheral areas."
From beyond the Tyrrhenian Sea
But someone from beyond the Tyrrhenian Sea could also arrive at ASL 8. Perhaps Tuscan Joseph Polimeni, who would be particularly welcome to the Democratic Party. Also in the running is Thomas Schael, fresh from managing the City of Health in Turin. Both are among the candidates deemed suitable for the directorate general of the eight ASLs, including those of Sassari and Olbia. But Paolo Tauro continues to appear to be the frontrunner for the Sassari ASL. His political affiliation is difficult to pin down, but his name satisfies Desirè Manca, a Five Star Movement regional councilor and Labor councilor. In theory, Tauro is also a candidate for the Gallura health authority. In this case, the opinion of the Budget councilor and regional vice president, Giuseppe Meloni, a Democrat, will have considerable weight.
After the TAR
Regarding the final three appointments, the regional president is expected to resolve her reservations in about two weeks, after the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) rules on the request to reinstate Flavio Sensi at the Sassari Local Health Authority (ASL). Sensi is the only former director general dismissed under the law on commissioners (later struck down by the Constitutional Court) to have filed an appeal within the legal deadline. The administrative judge will rule on January 14th. This is one of the reasons why Todde, in agreement with the Democratic Party, preferred not to nominate the director generals of the major ASLs. That said, it is highly unlikely that Sensi will resume his role at ASL 1. He will most likely head Multiss in Sassari.
In any case, so far the disagreements between Todde and the Democratic Party have focused mostly on the method to be followed to define the governance of healthcare agencies: should they appoint new general managers or not, given the Constitutional Court's unfavorable ruling? Now that the path to proceed regardless has been chosen, the clash will be over names.
Roberto Murgia
