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The story made the rounds in the media: a young mother living in the town of Sables-d’Olonne was unable to access the town’s emergency room when she showed up at the door of the service, her baby seven months old with breathing difficulties. Dr. Patrick Pelloux, president of the association of emergency physicians of France, denounces a failure of the hospital as a public service.
This happened on July 11, in the evening. Iman Couasnon, mother of 7-month-old Abel, goes to the emergency room in her town, Les Sables-d’Olonne. Her baby had a fever but the mother was not overly worried at first, her child being “in full teething”. But panic overtakes her when little Abel ends up having breathing difficulties.
Refusal to enter the emergency room
With her partner, she decides to go to the emergency room of her city, Abel having breathing difficulties and struggling to catch his breath. Once in the airlock, she warns the caregivers of her presence by an intercom where she is told that she cannot be seen by a doctor, for lack of sufficient personnel. The panicked mother tries to explain that her child has breathing difficulties, that the situation is serious… In vain.
The Samu then the firefighters and finally, the emergencies
Seeing that the situation is not unblocking, the couple tries to join the Samu, without answer. The firefighters redirect them to the Samu. Finally, they decide to take the road to the Vendée, to go to the hospital center of La Roche-sur-Yon. On the way, they call the hospital which puts them in contact with the Samu and there, it works: a first doctor makes the diagnosis of “laryngitis”. The doctor liaises with the pediatric department of the hospital and the child is immediately seen by doctors on arrival. Faced with the seriousness of his case and the very severe laryngitis of which he is a victim, he will be hospitalized for five days, before leaving the hospital on July 16, the day of his seven months.
A “bankruptcy” of the public hospital
If the story of Abel ends well, it nevertheless illustrates the serious difficulties encountered by the public hospital. For Patrick Pelloux, emergency physician and president of the Association of Emergency Physicians of France, “this story ends well but unfortunately in other situations, it does not”. He denounces the fact of asking people to call the Samu instead of going to the emergency room. “The public hospital has a public service mission of general interest. We like it or we don’t like it, but that’s the way it is. By asking caregivers to refuse people who come to the emergency room, the hospital has failed in its mission” first emphasizes the doctor.
“The personal responsibility of caregivers is engaged”
“This situation only pits people against each other, if people come to the emergency room it is because they need it” still hammers Patrick Pelloux, who fears that this type of situation will multiply and that it will fuel the anger of the families of patients.
“Finally, I would like to recall the personal responsibility of caregivers who are engaged here. If they refuse care and it ends badly, it can be considered as a detachable fault, which will engage them personally in court. notify the paramedic.