Teramo mayor decries Abruzzo 118 emergency service overhaul

The Abruzzo regional government has drafted a re‑modulation of the 118 emergency‑call service network. The proposal would cut advanced‑medical ambulance stations in the province of Teramo, including the removal of the Sant’Omero unit, leaving Teramo with fewer physician‑staffed vehicles than neighbouring provinces such as Pescara and L’Aquila.

Teramo mayor Gianguido D’Alberto protested the draft at a mayors’ committee, arguing that the plan ignores the province’s mountainous terrain, high summer tourist influx and existing staff shortages. He warned that the reorganisation favours the L’Aquila‑Chieti‑Pescara axis and could increase response times for residents and tourists along the Teramo coast. "La rete dell’emergenza‑urgenza è fondamentale per garantire il diritto alla salute dei cittadini," D’Alberto said. The proposal is part of a broader regional health‑planning effort that critics say has long disadvantaged Teramo.