In Olbia, the Gallura Local Health Authority is aiming to build a facility for doctors near the Giovanni Paolo II Hospital . "We received funding for a guesthouse near the hospital, and we hope to complete it," declared Special Commissioner Ottaviano Contu in La Maddalena during the inauguration of the former Garibaldi Hospital, a structure from which the island municipality has converted some spaces to house healthcare workers. This initiative could also be implemented elsewhere, aimed at making Gallura more attractive to doctors, following the example of La Maddalena, where some renovated municipal spaces are ready to be made available to the professionals of the Paolo Merlo Hospital.
"In an area like Gallura, where tourism is exceptionally high, attracting healthcare workers, especially at a time when they are extremely scarce, is difficult," explained former Local Health Authority Commissioner Marcello Acciaro, speaking at the same ceremony in La Maddalena. "This is a tangible sign of what can be done not only to attract but also to retain them. Having a place to sleep in peace will certainly help fill those shifts that are currently difficult to fill , because people have no intention of lying on a hospital bed or even in a chair. This is a sign of civility and great care for those who, in any case, provide a service to all of us."
The difficulty in filling shifts remains one of the most serious issues: the Pediatrics department at the Paolo Dettori Hospital in Tempio Pausania is at risk of closure due to a shortage of specialists , and currently operates only as an outpatient clinic. To address this problem, a bill introduced yesterday by Forza Italia and presented by its first signatory, Giuseppe Talanas, provides free housing for doctors willing to work in the most disadvantaged areas of the island.