Pesaro: Biancani and Pandolfi defend mental health services in the city.

«We will defend the maintenance of mental health services in the city». Mayor Andrea Biancani and Councillor for Social Policies Luca Pandolfi reiterate their opposition to the relocation of the dedicated structures – the Gabbiano day centre and the Cittadella della salute mentale (composed of the RSA “Tomasello”, the protected male and female communities, the Residential Rehabilitation Facility) – and of the approximately 100 places that they have, outside the municipal territory after the report arrived via social media from a guest of the facilities, who yesterday published an appeal on Facebook to keep the offices in Pesaro and after the many messages sent by the families involved.

«In addition to the lady's video appeal – Biancani explains -, in the last few days I have been receiving many messages from families on the subject, as if the mayor could decide and choose where to transfer the mental health services. In reality, the municipal administration had already signed where to move them, but to date, the locations where they will currently be taken do not correspond to those indicated. As mayor, I do not have the power to decide, they are services managed directly by the Region and by Ast, which is responsible for identifying solutions. Despite this, I have been taking charge of the problem for years, and I will continue to do so today, even in the awareness of not having the final say».

Mayor Biancani and Councilor Pandolfi they therefore return to ask the Region «to plan the placement of services close to each other, within the municipality of Pesaro, in places where it is possible for patients to develop relationships with the social context, as has happened up to now and as users, families and staff hope for».

Pending the locations identified in the Program Agreement signed in 2022 between the Municipality, the Region and Ast, the Region has in fact planned to move the services to Vallefoglia. «A choice that I have always contested, ever since I was a regional councilor» he specifies Mayor Biancani which adds: «Four years have passed since the regional council took office, four years since it presented the project for the construction of the new hospital that involves the relocation of all services, not only those for mental health, two years since the Program Agreement was signed. Despite the long time available, the Region, in the absence of planning in recent years, is only now identifying inadequate structures to which to relocate the mental health services». And again, «The move would have required much more serious consideration than that which was done. The guests who frequent the facilities and their families, whom we have met several times, are fragile people, for whom the changes in the rehabilitation environment create strong criticalities. The Acquaroli Board did not plan as much as it should have, at the right times».

«Only in the last few months - adds the mayor - the health management of Ast has actually addressed the situation by seeking solutions also in light of the proposals that, as a municipal administration, we have presented to avoid a move that creates significant inconvenience, especially for families». To prevent the transfer, the Biancani council had proposed alternative locations (some of which are also present in the Agreement signed in 2022): «Casa Roverella, the former hostel in Fosso Sejore, Galantara, the former mental asylum and the building of the Combonian Fathers, which however Ast declared not to be available. The objective was precisely not to move the services outside Pesaro. A solution that we have always considered wrong, both for the users and their families, and for the educators».

«Now that time is running out, we hope that the Region will be able to find the best solutions for users, families but I also believe for the educators who have to work there and for all those, for example psychiatrists, who have to regularly reach the services involved.» they conclude Biancani and Pandolfi.