Umberto I Hospital in Siracusa faces emergency‑room delays and endoscopy booking backlog

Councilor Paolo Cavallaro of Siracusa has highlighted organisational problems at the city’s Umberto I Hospital, focusing on the emergency department and the Digestive Endoscopy Service. He reported a case where a woman waited for several hours while accompanying her brother with a mild mental disability, noting the staff’s professionalism but also the department’s difficulty handling high patient volumes.

Cavallaro also raised concerns that endoscopy appointments are booked up to 2028, that histology results are delivered only in person, and that the waiting room, with just eleven seats, lacks air‑conditioning and nearby restrooms, creating hardship for elderly and vulnerable patients. He sent a note to the director‑general and medical director of the ASP of Siracusa requesting verification of these issues and, if confirmed, appropriate organisational measures. The city council has approved a special commission to investigate the broader health‑care challenges in Siracusa.