While the state of health emergency was declared by the government in the West Indies on Wednesday, tension is still palpable in Guadeloupe around health measures against Covid-19. This time, it is the University Hospital of Pointe-à-Pitre which was the scene on Tuesday of tensions around the compulsory vaccination of caregivers. The management of the hospital must have been exfiltrated by the police.
Nothing seems to calm the anger of activists against the compulsory vaccination of caregivers. After having besieged the administrative building of the University Hospital of Pointe à Pitre, the militants kidnapped three of the members of its management before the police managed to exfiltrate the director and his two deputies violently manhandled.
Main demand of the attackers: the payment of the salaries of the suspended agents, following their refusal to comply with the vaccination obligation. Punching in the ribs, on the head, torn shirt or even jet of urine… the members of the management of the CHU say they are deeply shocked by the violence of their exfiltration and have already made it known that they wished to file a complaint.
This is my sixth complaint for death threats … My reaction beyond myself is that this hospital must be made safe. We must protect the personnel. Doctors are mistreated and regularly have their car tires punctured. The goal is to create a situation of chaos. And so it is not normal that in a territory of the Republic, a place of peace where we take care of vulnerable people, who are fragile… That we cannot do this in all serenity.
Gérard Cotellon, Director General of the CHU
The director of the CHU intends to continue his mission to the end. At the microphone of Lucie Bouteloup, journalist at RFI, he regrets that we have closed our eyes and let this feeling of impunity settle in: ” We don’t do anything in a hospital “.
This is not the first time that the administrative premises have been targeted as part of this mobilization. In fact, at the end of 2021, the hospital had already suffered several damage.
According to the CHU, which is preparing for a new influx of patients due to the resurgence of the Covid-19 epidemic, 95% of staff meet the vaccination obligation.
►To read: Crisis in the West Indies: start of negotiations on the law on compulsory vaccination
State of health emergency in Guadeloupe, Guyana, Mayotte, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy
” Given the hospital capacities of these territories and the vaccination coverage of their population, the current epidemic wave of Covid-19 constitutes a health disaster endangering (…) the health of the population “, Says the decree presented to the Council of Ministers on January 5, 2021.
The state of health emergency declared on January 5, 2021 should allow prefects to take measures to ban travel.
In Guadeloupe for example, on January 4, the incidence rate is 1,820, up 549% over the last seven days, according to the text. And only 40% of the population there received at least one dose of vaccine at the end of 2021.
In Guyana, vaccination only reaches 31% of the population, and hospital pressure is already very strong with an occupancy rate of intensive care beds exceeding 190% of the initial capacity, even though the situation in metropolitan France is limiting. sending reinforcements.
Reunion and Martinique have already been in a state of health emergency since December 27,