Virus Outbreak โDisrupts Services at trapani’s Sant’Antonio Abate Hospital, Investigation Follows Professor‘s Death
Trapani, Sicily – Aโ viralโข outbreak withinโ several โdepartments of the โSant’Antonioโ Abate hospital in Trapani โฃis under investigation, coinciding with scrutiny of the facility’s management following the death of โขProfessor Maria Cristina Gallo. Theโ outbreak has prompted concernsโ about patientโ safety andโ working conditions, whileโ a commissioner appointed to โฃaddress โsystemic issues faces both supportโฃ and โขresistance.
The hospital, part of the Azienda Sanitariaโ Provinciale (ASP) โคofโค Trapani, has been lauded for initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable โคpopulations, including migrant โwomen, offering services like social assistance, online medical report access, and cultural mediation.โฃ However, these positive developments โare overshadowed โขby recentโค events.
Unionsโ Cisl FPโ and โขUil โคfpl have publicly voicedโค strong support for โฃASP trapani’s exceptional commissioner, Sabrina Pulvirenti, stating โshe has โค”brokenโฃ consolidated balances and dismantledโข privileged status, bringing to light โnegligenceโ that hasโ caused damage to our healthcare.” Marco Corrao and Giorgio Macaddino,general secretaries of theโ respective unions,emphasized Pulvirenti’s โactions โto halt irregular professional position renewals,expedite acting director procedures,and โคrevise emergency room access at Trapani hospital. โ
“Even today there is someone who accuses dr. Pulvirenti of creatingโ “inaction”, but thisโฃ block is in reality an action โคof legality,” the union leaders stated.
The commissioner also cancelled a โคworks assignmentโข at the Castelvetrano hospital โคdeemed โnon-compliant with contractual requirements. Renovations and new construction projects are underwayโฃ throughout the province, funded in partโ by the Pnrrโฃ (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), and procurement of long-missing diagnostic equipment is progressing.โ A preliminary assessment for stabilizing various professional roles is also reportedly underway.
Despiteโข these advancements, the unions acknowledge โคongoing challenges, including optimizing working conditions โand addressing โคthe needs of new mothers.They have pledged continued vigilanceโฃ and โurged patience, stating, “let’s let her โdo โขit, let’s support her, let’s notโข leave her alone โto fight โuncomfortableโ and complex administrative issues.”
The outbreakโ and โคthe โขongoingโค investigation into Professor Gallo’s death have brought renewed โattentionโ to the state โขof healthcareโค services โฃwithin the ASP of Trapani. The hospitalโค wasโ previously described as a “virtuous model,” โฃbut questionsโฃ remain about โwhether systemic issuesโ contributed to the โrecent tragedy.
