The Milan Prosecutor's Office has initiated a preliminary inquiry into the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy, following a period of significant operational disruption in its intensive care unit. The inquiry, opened on December 12, 2025, is currently classified as a 'fascicolo modello 45,' indicating that there are no specific charges or suspects at this stage.
Details of the Preliminary Inquiry
The investigation was prompted by reports from the NAS (Carabinieri's anti-adulteration and health unit) and the Squadra Mobile (Flying Squad of the State Police), which detailed critical issues that arose between December 5 and 7, 2025. The inquiry is assigned to Public Prosecutor Paolo Filippini and is coordinated by Deputy Prosecutor Tiziana Siciliano, both from the department dedicated to the Protection of Health, Environment, and Labor. The Labor Inspectorate has also provided information concerning potential contractual irregularities.
Allegations of Staff Unsuitability and Patient Risk
At the heart of the inquiry are allegations concerning the performance of external nursing staff, supplied by the cooperative Auxilium Care Scarl, in the hospital's 'Iceberg' pavilion, specifically in the intensive care and high-intensity medicine units. Reports suggest that some nurses from this cooperative allegedly lacked adequate training, exhibited poor Italian language skills, and were unfamiliar with essential clinical procedures and drug dosages. One particularly serious accusation involves the alleged administration of a drug at ten times its prescribed dosage. These issues reportedly created a 'grave danger' for patients.
Operational Disruptions and Administrative Changes
The reported 'chaos' led to significant operational disruptions at the hospital. Medical staff were compelled to:
- Transfer patients to other units.
- Suspend new admissions from the emergency room.
- Redirect complex cases to alternative operational units.
5 Comments
Bella Ciao
Finally, some accountability! Patient safety must be the top priority.
Comandante
While an inquiry is absolutely necessary for patient safety, I worry about the morale of the dedicated staff who are doing their best under difficult circumstances. This situation highlights deep-seated issues in healthcare staffing and oversight.
Habibi
This hospital's management failed completely. Unacceptable.
ZmeeLove
It's right that management is being scrutinized for these severe issues, especially concerning external staff. However, we should also consider the broader pressures on hospitals to cut costs, which often leads to such risky outsourcing decisions.
Muchacho
The resignation of the administrator seems like a necessary first step to restore trust, but it alone won't fix the underlying problems. There needs to be a thorough review of hiring practices and training protocols for all staff, internal and external.