Campania maternity wards face closure following TAR ruling

Controversy is growing in the Campania region following a TAR ruling that rejected appeals to prevent the closure of maternity wards in Sapri, Sessa Aurunca, and Piedimonte Matese. The decision is based on national safety standards requiring a minimum of 500 births per year; Sapri, for instance, recorded only 188.

In response, the Democratic Party (PD) group in the Regional Council has submitted a motion to protect these essential services. They argue that healthcare access should not be determined solely by numerical thresholds, especially in disadvantaged or geographically isolated areas where travel times to alternative facilities are significant. The PD highlights that Campania has recently regained full management autonomy after exiting the national healthcare recovery plan, which should allow for more flexible regional programming.

Local communities and labor unions, including UIL FP Salerno, are calling for greater transparency regarding staffing, technology, and emergency protocols. Protests have resumed in the Golfo di Policastro area, with local administrators considering an appeal to the Council of State to contest the administrative court's decision.