Bronte Hospital maternity ward closure sparks dispute between local mayors

The maternity ward at Bronte Hospital has been officially closed following a decision by the Director General of the ASP Catania, Giuseppe Laganga Senzio. This measure formalizes a suspension of services that had been in place since 2023 and includes the dismantling of the entire Obstetrics and Gynecology department.

The closure has sparked a political dispute between local leaders. The Mayor of Bronte, Giuseppe Gullotta, criticized the decision as “sciagurata” (disastrous), arguing that it deprives the surrounding municipalities—including Maletto, Maniace, Randazzo, Cesarò, and San Teodoro—of essential healthcare. Gullotta contested the rationale that patients would migrate to the Biancavilla maternity ward, suggesting instead that residents will likely travel to the Nesima Hospital due to better accessibility.

In response, the Mayor of Biancavilla, Antonio Bonanno, described Gullotta’s comments as “inopportuno” (inappropriate) and driven by local parochialism. Bonanno stated that his priority is the well-being of his community and argued that healthcare should not be a “battlefield between local interests” but a universal right to be protected collectively.