Health care
Nine provincial health authorities, three university hospitals (Palermo, Catania, Messina), large hospital trusts (Civico and Villa Sofia-Cervello in Palermo, Cannizzaro and Garibaldi in Catania, Papardo in Messina), ISMETT for transplants. Under a recovery plan since 2007; non-compliant in two areas in the 2023 LEA monitoring. Patient outflow to the North; minor islands rely on the air ambulance.
Sections: Access · Coverage · Facilities · Pharmacies · Emergencies
Organisation
The Sicilian health service, a regional responsibility under the statute, is organised in nine provincial health authorities (ASP of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse and Trapani) running network hospitals and community services. Added to these are the hospital and university trusts: in Palermo the Giaccone university hospital, ARNAS Civico-Di Cristina and Villa Sofia-Cervello; in Catania the Rodolico-San Marco university hospital, ARNAS Garibaldi and Cannizzaro; in Messina the Martino university hospital and Papardo; ISMETT in Palermo (transplants, with UPMC) and the IRCCS Bonino-Pulejo in Messina. Bookings go through each trust's CUP and the electronic health record; there is no single regional booking centre.
Recovery plan and quality
Sicily has been under a deficit recovery plan since 2007 and continues with operational programmes agreed with the Ministry, without a commissioner. In the monitoring of essential care levels (LEA) for 2023, under the Ministry of Health's Nuovo Sistema di Garanzia, the region is non-compliant in two of three areas, with a score down on 2022. Documented weak points are waiting lists, overcrowded emergency departments, doctor shortages in some specialties and in inland areas, and substantial outbound mobility to Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio and Tuscany, especially for oncology, cardiac surgery and specialist paediatrics.
Islands and inland areas
The minor islands have limited facilities: Lipari has a small hospital, Lampedusa and Pantelleria outpatient centres with first-aid posts, the other islands out-of-hours medical posts; emergencies depend on the 118 air ambulance and sea transfers, subject to weather. Lampedusa is also the first landing point for migrant arrivals, with a dedicated health post. Inland (Madonie, Nebrodi, Enna area) small hospitals have reduced services and the nearest emergency department can be over an hour away.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-04-30
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