Gallura Emergency Department: Eight out of 35 specialists on duty

Working shift after shift for months, up to 50 hours a week, the emergency room specialists in Gallura are under pressure, with the end of the "token workers'" contracts.

There are eight permanent doctors employed by the Olbia Local Health Authority (ASL), and there should be at least 35. The Tempio Emergency Department is the hottest front in a dramatic situation. In recent weeks, it has been shut down due to a lack of medical staff, and the prospect of its permanent closure (or conversion to a first aid station) is on the table.

The Olbia Local Health Authority (ASL) has ruled out this option: "We are working to resolve this issue. The first responses have come with the assignment of a new position to a new unit specifically for the Tempio Pausania Emergency Department, which has been in place since last February. Within a few weeks, a further position will be assigned to a doctor who will cover shifts in both Olbia and Tempio. In the meantime, we have also reopened the call for expressions of interest for freelance positions in the Gallura Emergency Department, for which three applications have been received so far. We have decided to keep the call open to expedite the assignment of any new positions should doctors express interest. A new call will be published soon, allowing us to broaden the pool of doctors who can express interest in covering shifts." While awaiting developments in the regional call for emergency room staffing and with the finalization of the contract with the external company, the driving force behind our work has been the search for available staff. Therefore, there is no intention to close a service that, we reiterate, is still open.

This is all true, but the unit "in place at the facility since last February" can only handle minor cases, and there's still no certainty about recruiting additional doctors. The mayor of Calangianus, Fabio Albieri, comments: "A few years ago, we were assured that the Emergency Department at Paolo Dettori Hospital in Tempio would be strengthened; it would be a guarantee for the entire Alta Gallura area, unfortunately, in light of the progressive dismantling of the hospital's departments and services. Instead, we're witnessing the facility being dismantled. There are no doctors to ensure the department's functioning, and the Radiology department isn't working at night. All this amidst uncertainty about the appointment of the director of the Local Health Authority."