Patients are placed on stretchers in the ward corridors, without call systems, centralized oxygen, and adequate privacy, with a highly unbalanced nurse-to-patient ratio, which on some shifts reaches as low as one nurse for every 14-15 patients.
This is the situation reported by NurSind Cagliari in the Medicine 1 department of Arnas Brotzu , the subject of a formal report forwarded to the Regional Health Department, the General Management of Arnas Brotzu, Spresal and the Labour Inspectorate.
According to the notification, the ward is reportedly carrying at least a dozen more patients than accredited beds, some forced to stay in the corridors on stretchers placed along the wards. "Nurse colleagues have correctly described a situation of severe deprivation of patients' rights, as well as working conditions that prevent the provision of adequate, comprehensive, and personalized care," wrote Provincial Secretary Fabrizio Anedda. " The stretchers, placed along the wards in a sort of 'train,' also impede the passage of trolleys, beds/stretchers, and electromedical equipment, causing a serious disruption to normal care and domestic/hotel services."
This situation, the union denounces, jeopardizes both patient safety and the health of workers , who are subjected to severe work overload and increasing emotional and professional stress. "It's not difficult to understand why, in these work environments, professionals tend to shy away at the first opportunity. It's well known that there's a significant criticality related to the shortage of human resources, particularly nursing, exacerbated by job mobility to other institutions through public competitions."
NurSind is now calling for an immediate assessment of the situation and the adoption of urgent corrective measures. In the absence of concrete action, it announces the use of "further forms of representation and protest, in order to protect the rights of professionals and patients."
(Unioneonline/vf)
