The Sassari Local Health Authority (ASL) is opening the "San Giovanni Battista" Hospice in Ploaghe. This facility will integrate with the Northwest Sardinia network of home palliative oncology care and will host its first patients starting November 17, 2025.

The ceremony was attended by Paolo Tauro, the Extraordinary Commissioner of the Sassari Local Health Authority (ASL), Piero Delogu, the Health Director of the Local Health Authority (ASL 1), and Gianfranca Nieddu, the Director of Social and Health Services, along with the heads of the Sassari Local Health Authority (AOU), including Mario Palermo, representatives of the local area, the Regional Councilor for Public Works, Antonio Piu, the President of the Health Commission, Carla Fundoni, and Daniele Cocco, representing the Health Department. The ceremony also included regional councilors representing the area, the Mayor of Ploaghe, Carlo Sotgiu, representatives of the non-profit sector, and the regional coordinator of the palliative care technical committee, Salvatore Salis.

The hospice, in accordance with the opinion of the general practitioner or hospital doctors, may be accessed by patients who are in the stage of the disease no longer susceptible to recovery, and for whom other forms of care are not adequate (such as patients in the advanced and very advanced stages of the disease, with a presumed life expectancy of less than six months, and for whom the conditions for home care are not available).

The eight beds will offer an integrated suite of healthcare, assistance, and hospitality services , provided 24/7 by Sassari Local Health Authority staff. The goal is to maintain an acceptable quality of life, alleviate the patient's pain, and alleviate the family's sense of helplessness.

With the opening of the Hospice, the Local Health Authority intends to reduce the number of hospitalizations and days spent in acute care facilities; it also aims to complete the care offering of integrated home care throughout the community and improve the quality of care continuity . With this in mind, at the San Giovanni Battista Hospice in Ploaghe, thanks to the donations of several artists, an effort has been made to improve the quality of the environment offered to guests through the care of the spaces, art, and beauty. In particular, Alghero artists Patrizia and Antonio Marras have adorned the walls of the facility's lobby with roses. Artist Jacopo Scassellati's work depicts Penelope and Ulysses.

Sara and Gianni Crobe, with images of "Freya's friends," evoke the strength of bonds and community. Angelo and Martina Maggi donated the work "Nancy," a poetic tribute to France and the landscapes that inspired it. The Sassari Local Health Authority also extends heartfelt thanks to Geppi Cucciari, to Father Giuseppe, Laura, Raffaela, and Signora Giovanna, "who, with their silent presence, have enabled the realization of these important steps and these precious gifts." Within the complex of the former San Giovanni Battista Foundation, the Sassari Local Health Authority, with regional funding of one million euros, renovated a building of approximately 1,200 square meters, dedicating it to the hospice.

The two-story building houses the reception area and healthcare services (outpatient clinics, meeting room, interview room, changing rooms, and a gym) on the ground floor. The first floor features six single rooms and one double room, accommodating a total of eight beds, all with en-suite bathrooms and armchairs. There is also a relaxation area and living room, with an adjoining fully equipped kitchen available to patients and their families, and spaces for caretaking and medication preparation. The San Pantaleo Hospice in Sorso, located within the jurisdiction of the Sassari Local Health Authority, also operates, offering six beds and managed by an accredited private provider.

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