Chaos in Cagliari's emergency room: AOU (National Hospital of Cagliari) says "There's a crisis, but it's not the fault of the work at the Policlinico."

The dramatic situation in Cagliari's emergency rooms? "It's not the work at the Policlinico Hospital that's to blame. The crisis, which exists, has entirely different origins. And it's unacceptable to try to offload the problems of the emergency department onto urgent, non-postponable work."

The University of Cagliari (AOU) is not prepared to be scapegoated for the daily collapse of the emergency care system in southern Sardinia. Hours-long (sometimes days-long) waits, lines of ambulances with patients on board, and cases at the limit (and beyond) of what is tolerable are a fact of life. But, the university hospital's management is keen to emphasize, these are not new developments linked to the renovation project begun yesterday, Monday, at the Duilio Casula Hospital.

"It's important to remember that the work was divided into four phases and will last until August, not out of sheer whim," a statement reads, "but to avoid closures and reductions in operational capacity that would have created even more problems. And the spring period was also chosen precisely to avoid having to carry out work during peak periods."

The AOU's stated objective remains, therefore, "to prevent the progressive deterioration of the quality of care and safety of treatment. Hospitals, guaranteeing 24/7 services, face the challenge of implementing maintenance interventions that do not generate inevitable difficulties and controversy, but it is precisely the continuous use of the facility that makes them unavoidable, particularly in areas that pose risks to patients and healthcare workers."