Sassari As usual, a health system with two paces, one that marches quickly and one that trudges. On the waiting list front, the gap between north and south is evident. And it is a problem that the regional health councilor Bartolazzi will have to face sooner or later.
All you need to do is dedicate half an hour to consulting the portal CupWeb, to realize the temporal galaxy that separates Sassari from Cagliari. The picture that emerges is this: the patient from northern Sardinia, in order to have a medical service, must arm himself with patience and a car that allows him to travel 100 to 200 kilometres. Those who live in Cagliari are lucky enough to be able to get treatment about ten minutes from their home. The forces in the field at the level of accredited structures is 1 in 10. The result is that in Sassari the bookings of the main outpatient visits or the most common diagnostic tests are mostly closed. If you are lucky you can get an appointment in Alghero, otherwise you have to fall back on Mater Olbia. But generally the portal indicates migration south as the only possible destination for people from Sassari, not only to have a calendar date in human times, but precisely to obtain an appointment. Since inexplicably there are no agendas available in all the facilities in Sassari.
A few practical examples make the picture and the existing disparity much clearer.
Introduction: we are talking about services provided not in an emergency (within 72 hours), nor with a “Short” prescription (to be performed within 10 days), but “Deferred” ones (visits within 30 days and diagnostic tests within 60 days) and scheduled ones (there are no priority classes and timeframes). In other words, we are talking about prevention. Let’s start with an extremely requested and fundamental test: the colonoscopy with flexible endoscope. There is no availability in Sassari, while the first date is February 17, 2025 at San Martino in Oristano. Otherwise on July 30th in Isili (Cagliari).
Second booking, cardiology visit. The first space that a Sassari native finds is on 23 October in the Dessì studio in Cagliari. The second on November 7th in Selargius.
Another crucial test in terms of cancer prevention is the mammography. Once again, to have a performance you need to go to the other side of the island, that is to Quartu Sant’Elena on 26 June, otherwise to Mater Olbia on 4 October. Other diagnostic tests required: Chest CT scan, with and without contrast. We will talk about it on June 27th at the Marino hospital in Cagliari, or alternatively on September 25th in Olbia. Let’s continue: Complete CT scan of the abdomen. Immediate availability in Nuoro, and secondly in Olbia on 25 September. Still: eye examination. Appointment available today at 9 in Sadali, otherwise finally in Alghero but not before September 18th. Last essential exam, magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal column. The portal offers the Sanluri option for October 25th, and then the Deriu institute in Cagliari on December 6th.
In short, the scenario is sufficiently exhaustive: the disparity is very strong and very penalizing for the residents of northern Sardinia. Traveling hundreds of kilometers for a visit is not only an inconvenience, but most of the time it is absolutely not worth it. Because doing the math, between a round trip to Cagliari, with petrol and wasted time, and 130 euros spent for intramoenia or a private clinic, perhaps the second option is better. Much quicker, and within patient reach. But against the principle of good healthcare and the right to health.
