They will continue to operate on patients but are relieved of all their other duties within the hospital. In a letter addressed to the Minister of Health François Braun, to the Regional Health Agency and to several local elected officials, around fifty surgeons from the Le Mans hospital center present their “administrative resignation”.
By this letter, relayed by the newspaper West Francethese practitioners denounce “an alarming deterioration” in the capacity to receive surgery, while emergency services have been forced to close repeatedly in the departement. Due to a shortage of medical personnel, around 60 surgical beds were reportedly closed.
“The deprogramming continues”
Since the beginning of January, “more than 110 operations have had to be deprogrammed overnight, for lack of space”, write the surgeons. “The deprogramming continues, we are extending the period of care, with a risk of loss of chance for the patient, explained to West France Dr Julien Barbieux, head of the surgery center at the Le Mans hospital center. For a cancerous tumor, even a little advanced, we cannot wait. Today, we find ourselves choosing which patient we are going to operate on and which patient we are going to postpone. It goes against our ethics. »
Professionals still denounce “poor” teams, subject to “untenable” pressures.