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Bronchiolitis, flu, Covid-19… So many pathologies which have further undermined the public hospital. The situation of the health system is “critical” to use the words of the Minister of Health, who promises a major reform next January. The opinion of Dr Patrick Pelloux, President of the Association of Emergency Physicians of France and Dr Gérald Kierzek, Emergency Physician and Medical Director of Doctissimo.
“Saturated” emergencies, caregivers at their wit’s end, an overloaded Samu: the end of 2022 is particularly complicated for the public hospital. “We are no longer going straight into the wall, that’s it, we’re there” deplores Patrick Pelloux, president of the association of emergency physicians in France.
The Samu overwhelmed by calls
A “critical” situation as the Minister of Health, François Braun, describes it, who cannot deny the evidence. The flu, Covid-19 and bronchiolitis epidemics have “saturated” the emergency services. “Our health system is particularly stressed at the moment, with the Samu who have an increase of 30 to 40% in the number of calls” also notes the Minister of Health, visiting the Samu de Paris, based at the Necker hospital and in another establishment, to provide support to the caregivers mobilized. “It’s normal, they only moved the problem” denounces Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
“By restricting access to emergencies and recommending people to call the Samu, without granting them additional means, it was obvious that this was not going to solve anything“. With the risk of misses.”In addition, by asking people to call from home, with overwhelmed regulatory doctors, it increases the risk of missing out on vital emergencies”.
A “difficult” course in the coming days
The Minister of Health also points to a saturation of emergency services, with “difficulties in hospitalization” and he fears a situation “even more complicated next week”. “We have an extremely difficult course to pass”, he added. According to Dr. Kierzek, it is an overall lack of resources that has created this situation. “We are facing a structural problem and not a situational one. This time it’s the flu and the Covid, next time it will be something else… As long as we don’t give caregivers the means to work, by raising their salaries and reviewing their working conditions, we won’t make it. We will soon create a toll-free number” he quips.
A reform promised for the month of January
On Wednesday December 21, a collective of more than 5,000 doctors, caregivers and hospital workers appealed to the government, denouncing the public hospital as being “Cracking and soon to crumble“, without the slightest possibility of”cushion the slightest health crisis“According to them, it would be necessary to act in “emergency” to improve the situation. A call to which François Braun responded, promising that he would begin a “global” reform of the health system.I thank all the professionals and I tell them that we are mobilized and that we are going to take the health system head on to reform it”he assured.
“I’ve never seen this in thirty years!”
Words that Dr. Pelloux does not believe. “For 30 years, everything has been done to get us there, all the elements have come together to make the public hospital collapse. We are there. Today, we are faced with families who must keep the body of their deceased at home, for lack of a doctor to sign the death certificate, we no longer have a public ambulance service, we call on associations of first aiders to come to our aid… In thirty years, I have never We really need to review everything, and I take this opportunity to remind you that e-health (such as teleconsultations, remote medicine, etc.) will not solve anything! concludes the doctor.