CT scan for a cancer patient 300 km away in May 2026: "In Sardinia, if you don't pay, you die."
The complaint of the former president of the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI): the case of a patient from Gallura who must undergo oncological staging to monitor her tumor.Per restare aggiornato entra nel nostro canale Whatsapp
She needs a CT scan for oncological staging, to determine the stage of her cancer. She's a patient weakened by the disease and lives in Trinità d'Agultu, in the far north of Gallura. The Sardinian healthcare system offers her alternatives. September 23rd, in Muravera, at 8 a.m. That means a nearly 300-kilometer drive, leaving in the middle of the night for a journey of over three and a half hours. Or March 12th, 2026 , in Monserrato, just outside Cagliari. The closest appointment (physically, not temporally)? Thursday, May 7th, 2026, of course, on Viale San Pietro in Sassari. In more than a year and a half.
Yet another brutal flaw in the island's healthcare system has been brought to light by former ANCI president Emiliano Deiana, who in February resigned from his position as a consultant to the current regional government's Department of Urban Planning.
His complaint also includes an unmistakable screenshot of the available slots offered by the regional reservation center. The matter does not directly concern him. The mother of a friend is implicated. Given the source and the documents, there is no doubt about its veracity.
"What will my friend do?" asks Deiana. "She'll dig into her wallet and go to a private center. Because it's a visit that can't be postponed, and a mother's life is worth much more than time, space, geography, broken roads, ten pizzas with friends, a gift for her nieces, or a trip for herself."
Those who cannot afford it, the bitter conclusion is, "stop researching the CUP and die."
Enrico Fresu