Riva Hospital Under Scrutiny: Patient Rights Campaign Highlights Critical Issues
The Pit-Bus of the Tribunal for Patients’ Rights made a stop yesterday in Riva as part of the itinerant campaign «Ospedale sicuro 2001» promoted by «Cittadinanzattiva», the organization that has been working nationally for over twenty years to advocate for the “lost rights” of citizens.
On this occasion, a press conference was held with the presence of officials from the national headquarters and the provincial secretary of Cittadinanzattiva, Pietro Fabbri, who announced the results of the monitoring of provincial health facilities, emphasizing that several reports had already been received just in the morning.
Disfunctions and Critical Issues in Riva
In Riva, the Tribunal has long identified some issues. For example, the emergency room lacks a triage system based on the severity of cases and, even more concerning, often there is no medical staff at the reception, forcing users to approach the porter’s desk… compromising privacy.
Another problem is the lack of a serious program to protect children: there is no pediatric emergency room nor territorial pediatric on-call service, both of which require referrals to Rovereto.
The association intends to pressure authorities to fill this gap, as our children should have the same rights as elsewhere, regardless of province justifications citing costs.
The obstetrics department in Riva is functioning well, but the high number of deliveries is partly due to malfunctions in this department in other cities, such as Rovereto.
Other Critical Issues and Initiatives
One of the most complained about services is the Central Booking Office, which, following the increase in available services, struggles to meet all user requests, with people waiting up to half an hour for a response.
The Tribunal of the Patient also has a pool of lawyers who operate at the provincial level, and in many hearings, including one against three absentist doctors in Riva, a civil party has been registered.
Yesterday afternoon, after the press conference, officials from Cittadinanzattiva visited the Monoblocco Hospital in Arco alongside healthcare management. The new hospital is expected to finally become operational in 2002: according to Fabbri, it already promises to be the flagship of provincial healthcare.
The leaders of the Tribunal for Patients emphasize the discretion with which the organization operates, never disclosing reports to the press unless expressly authorized by the individual or family concerned. For instance, in the recent case of an elderly woman in critical condition transferred inexplicably from Riva hospital to Arco, where she died two hours later; her family had authorized the organization to disclose this case of medical malpractice. Fabbri personally spoke with the surgeon involved and informed the health authorities about the need for measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
For reports and complaints, citizens can contact the local office at the hospital every Wednesday and Saturday from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM (0464.582675).
