It happened recently in a town in Barbagia: a doctor opened a clinic, lasted a month, and then left to work in an emergency room.

She chose a career that, although complicated and unsought after, is evidently less stressful than primary care.

"The triumphalistic tone with which the Regional Government and the FIMMG announced the Supplementary Agreement is completely unjustified," warns Pietro Satta, president of the Sardinian Association of General Practitioners. "The agreement, currently signed by only two organizations, does nothing to make this branch of community healthcare attractive, and risks encouraging young people to migrate to other specialties, and the early retirement of those who are already working and would like to continue."

The numbers are shocking: today there are 450 vacant offices, and within a couple of years, 300 professionals will retire.