Almost 8,000 interventions, including at least 2,800 life-saving missions throughout the province, involving Suem and crews of affiliated associations, since the beginning of the year. Then an average of 550 calls in 24 hours to the operations center. Numbers surpassing those recorded during the Covid era. SOS calls for intoxicated individuals, drug addicts, and victims of domestic violence are constant at night. A continuous strain on a staff that has been stretched thin for some time now. There's a disproportionate increase in the use of lower-impact white and green codes, indicating inadequate public awareness of the correct use of the emergency number 118. This also reflects a territorial "filter" that isn't functioning and a system that directs everything to hospitals. Impressive figures, but fortunately, there are operators who stand out for their professionalism and humanity.
The General Manager Giusy Bonavina has referred to them as "heroes". For their eternal frontline service, now there are eight ambulances and four mobile clinics - costing the regional budget over one and a half million euros - reinforcing emergency healthcare facilities throughout Ulss 8. Especially noteworthy, as emphasized by Luca Addondi, one of the specialists in the Suem team led by Federico Politi, is the state-of-the-art equipment designed for patient survival and rescuer safety. This includes lung ventilators, chest compressors, portable aspirators, and devices for spinal immobilization. In essence, a modern fleet that completely renovates the 118 emergency services, becoming an additional guarantee in anticipation of the national gathering of the Alpini from May 10 to 12, when Vicenza expects half a million Alpini and Ulss Berica will have to cover a complex task of surveillance and healthcare assistance. This was stated by DG Bonavina and confirmed in a crowded press conference at San Bortolo Hospital by Mayor Giacomo Possamai, emphasizing Suem's "extraordinary work," and Regional Councilor Manuela Lanzarin, highlighting the constant commitment of the Veneto Region in terms of technological investments and equipment for Ulss and Venetian companies.
Then, at the hospital's entrance, the blessing of the new vehicles by the vicar general, Don Giampaolo Marta, in the presence of DG Bonavina and the Ulss high command, Vice Prefect Emanuele Cassaro, representatives of the Municipality (in addition to the mayor, Councilor Matteo Tosetto, and Council President Massimiliano Zaramella), Carabinieri, Police, Guardia di Finanza, and a large group of operators. In the front row, as mentioned, Councilor Lanzarin, back from a meeting in Rome with presidents and colleagues from all Italian Regions on the thorny issue of the shortage of personnel in public health.
"The emergency sector, together with anesthesia-resuscitation, represents one of the weakest pieces," she explained. Workloads, responsibilities, aggressions, and disputes are among the causes that drive away doctors. "It's a problem," she said, "that must be addressed immediately with a national directive".
(GdV, 10 febbraio 2024)