Healthcare still in an emergency phase in Sardinia, but the pandemic has nothing to do with it. Rather, they are concerned about the delays in all the decisions to be taken on the occasion of the deadlines for the management contracts residential, semi-residential and home servicesespecially those related to mental health centers. The representatives of the three main cooperative centers on the island have sent a letter to the president of the regional council, Christian Solinasto the councilor for health and social assistance, Charles Doriato the Director General of Health, Frances Pirasto all regional councilors and managers of Asl of Cagliari, Sanluri, Oristano and Lanuseialready contracted out and expired on 31 March last year.
“We write this note to denounce the serious situation of uncertainty that has arisen”, reads the text signed by Giovanni Angelo Loi (Solidarity Sardinia-Agci), Antonello Pili (Federsolidarietà Sardinia-Confcooperative) and Andrea Pianu (Legacoopsociali Sardinia)”. Specifically, the reference is to the following services: Assisted living of Selargius and Capoterra (Asl of Cagliari), Guspini and Serramanna (Asl Medio Campidano), Csm Support of San Gavino (Medio Campidano), Casa Famiglia Samugheo (Oristano), Srpai of Busachi (Oristano) and Lanusei (Ogliastra), Autonomy support (Cagliari).
“These services, entrusted with the procedures of the time Ats (the former health protection company of Sardinia, ndr), have been operating since 2018 under an extension regime, having been deserted twice – in 2018 and 2019 – the tenders called to identify the new managers of the same “, continues the note. “In recent years, our associations have repeatedly pointed out the difficulty of this situation, characterized by deeds of extension for a few months which made the planning and design of therapeutic interventions, the economic sustainability of the structures particularly difficult and, last but not least, guaranteeing certainty and continuity employment for workers. The last extension for these services expired on 31 March and, to date, the managers of the various structures and services have not uniformly received precise and formal communications on the future of the activities in which they are engaged”.
“A similar situation, if not more serious, falls on residential structures Srpai of Cagliari and Srpai of Decimomannuactivated in October 2016 after a tender procedure and expired in October 2022. In view of the declarations of the Asl Services of competence on the need not to jeopardize the interventions and therapeutic paths of the guests and patients of the structures and services, we we are faced with communications from the Purchasing Department of Ares (Regional health agency, ndr) very different. We understand that the Asl of almost all territorial areas have made the decision to extend the contracts for the services within their competence until 31 December 2023, while other territories are still silent. Specifically, in the absence of communications of availability to extend existing contracts, all the services and residences of the Cagliari ASL are found; this happens while in the same structures and services requests for the inclusion and care of patients from mental health centers and the mental health department continueand above all, in the previous months, despite the requests for follow-up feedback from the cooperatives managing the services, no acts and/or procedures were promoted for the conclusion of the rehabilitation therapeutic pathways and for the reintegration into the community of origin of the patients in charge of the services and residences”.
“All of this appears to us frankly unsustainable and lacking in respect, first of all towards the fragile people with whom and for whom these services operate but, no less, for the various managers who have been present for six months for the Srpai of Cagliari and Decimomannu and for over a month for the other services and residences belonging to the ASL of Cagliari, to carry out a function without certainty that the activities disbursed are covered and fully recognised”.
The representatives of the three organizations ask the top exponents of the Region the urgent opening of a discussion table to clarify and therefore be able to manage “the complex problems that have arisen under various profiles, not least the correct management of working relationships with the operators involved in the services. Without prejudice to the legitimacy of the titular administrations to take decisions on the extension or otherwise of expiring services, we believe that they cannot be without the necessary respect for the economic operators with whom we share the fate of the fragile people for whom we are committed every day. This respect also passes through timely and transparent communications and reports on the future of the activities that are carried out and on a respectful timing of the rehabilitation therapeutic paths of the mentally suffering people in charge of the services”.
Credits: foto Usman Yousaf su Unsplash