Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
Archaeological surveys began yesterday morning in the area along the SS124 earmarked for Syracuse’s new hospital. A total of 150 trenches will be dug to confirm there is no trace of pre-existing archaeological remains. The work is expected to conclude within a few weeks, with the superintendency then issuing clearance, and represents a further preliminary step to speed up the start of construction once the contract is awarded.
“After the recent confirmation of full funding and good progress in the land expropriation procedures, the conditions are now in place to take another step forward,” said Filippo Scerra, the Syracuse MP for the Five Star Movement and police chief of the Chamber of Deputies. “Invitalia should publish the tender by November. The finish line is finally in sight, despite the often sterile buck-passing between the state and the region and some oversights from Palermo that have cost almost 18 months of delay on the original timetable,” Scerra said. “We will continue to monitor this complex process closely, keeping up the institutional pressure to prevent any new and incomprehensible slowdowns, especially now that the finish line is in sight. Over the past few years we have intervened repeatedly, in Rome and Palermo, even during moments of tension over resources and financial adjustments, to stop the project from stalling or slowing down. We will continue to do so should any strange waiting games or hesitations emerge. I am confident there will be no surprises and I trust that Commissioner Monteforte will now succeed in completing the work.”
Filippo Scerra then sets an important and challenging target: “Laying the foundation stone within the first four months of 2027. That is the challenge we must all win. Syracuse’s healthcare deserves to regain its dignity, and to do that we first need adequate, modern facilities capable of meeting citizens’ needs. We will not allow the province of Syracuse to continue to be sacrificed for the benefit of neighbouring areas. On the health of Syracuse’s people we are prepared to accept no compromise, only the guarantee of full, high-quality care locally. We must no longer be forced to travel elsewhere for treatment, with the resulting movement of economic resources that end up supporting other areas. The new hospital is a necessity that can no longer be postponed. As the Five Star community we will continue to work and monitor to ensure that, after so many years of waiting, construction definitely begins.”
