Sardinia health system at risk of emergency room closures as contract doctor contracts end

The regional health authority in Sardinia announced that the contracts for "medici a gettone" (contract doctors) will cease on 30 June 2026, with no possibility of extension. The cessation threatens the operation of emergency departments and other hospital services, especially in peripheral hospitals that have relied on these doctors under a contract awarded to the firm Mst.

Local health administrations are scrambling to recruit replacements, facing high costs (approximately €145,920 for six months per doctor) and legal disputes with the contractor. The Forza Italia group in the Regional Council warned that the lack of a contingency plan could push the Sardinian health system toward collapse, jeopardising care for residents and the summer influx of tourists.