"The earliest available date for a colonoscopy is February 2029, in San Gavino." This is the answer a woman from Uras received today, after her son called the regional booking center for Sardinia to book the exam. Exactly four years of waiting for a visit that, in reality, she should have done by January 2026 because at the beginning of 2023 she had undergone colon surgery. But there is no place before 2029 with the regional health service.

The story of VC, 80 years old, is certainly not the first in Sardinia . And it highlights how the problem of waiting lists is still current. This morning, the son - a year in advance, therefore certainly not close to the date indicated for the visit - made the referral and immediately afterwards called the Cup, to try not to extend the times. But the operator's response took him by surprise: "I'm even ashamed to tell you, but the earliest available date is February 2029", he heard himself say .

"It's a scandal," the bitter comment on the story of the son of the elderly woman who needs the visit. " My mother will be 81 soon, she has to have a check-up every three years because she had an operation for a benign tumor . In four years anything can happen." And the only option to have a colonoscopy, certainly not a secondary exam, is to go to a private doctor. For a fee.

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