Wednesday 26 June 2024 – Il Mayor of Lagonegro, Salvatore Falabellawrites to the President of the Basilicata Region, Vito Bardi, and to the General Director of the “San Carlo” Regional Hospital of Potenza, Giuseppe Spera, for an urgent meeting on the reduction of healthcare activities at the Lagonegro Hospital.
“The news of the last few hours, learned by the press, – states Falabella in the letter – of a fearful decision by the General and Health Directorates of the Regional Hospital of San Carlo di Potenza, which apparently decided to eliminate night-time medical presences in the Cardiology departments of the hospitals of Melfi, Villa d’Agri and Lagonegro to enhance daytime outpatient activity.
We express strong concern, also collecting reports from alarmed citizens and operators, and we ask to go back on any decisions already taken, which would put the lives of the citizens of the entire Lagonegrese area at risk.
Patients who resort to the specific medical intervention of the department in question present – recalls Falabella – problems for which the time factor is fundamental and can determine the survival or death of the subject. No
We cannot rely on the hope that emergencies only happen during the day. The lack of night-time helicopter rescue at the Lagonegro hospital, home to the Active Emergency Department, adds risk to risk, lengthening intervention times.
The Lagonegro Hospital, as specified, is home to an active emergency room, therefore in case of emergency the cardiologist’s nocturnal consultancy activity is extremely necessary, think of cases of road accidents, unplanned caesarean sections, urgent surgical interventions, etc.
It also appears that it benefits from the presence of seven specialists, who could easily guarantee a presence distributed over the 24 hours, with a more rational and convenient organization than the overlapping of shifts during the day. In short, the Lagonegro Hospital, without additional costs, could maintain the same level of performance, with greater safety for the health and life of citizens.
In light of the above, – concludes Falabella – we ask for an urgent meeting, to be held in Lagonegro, with the Regional Institutions and the General Management of the AOR “San Carlo” to find an immediate solution, in order to avoid decisions that risk dangerously and irreversibly lowering the health guarantee levels of our territory”.
