Italian hospital asks doctors not to snort cocaine at work

An Italian hospital director sent a memo to doctors and nurses asking them not to snort cocaine while on duty.

Giuseppe Di Maria now faces possible disciplinary action following the memo sent to medical staff at the Santa Catarina Novella di Galatina Hospital near Lecce in southern Italy. The memo was sent after Di Maria received anonymous tip-offs about the practice at the hospital.



Social services chiefs have opened an internal inquiry into the affair and also referred it to the local prosecutor's office. Director of social affairs Guido Scoditti said he had no choice but to pass the matter on to the authorities.

"The director of the hospital has certainly made an error, he should not have sent this memo, he should have informed me directly. The alleged consumption of cocaine in a hospital environment should certainly not be dealt with in this way," he said.