“The particular fear is that we do not have enough staff to continue doing what we had more or less managed to do in 2021.” It is not for lack of warning. Monday, all the nurses of the pediatric emergency department of the Delafontaine hospital in Saint-Denis, in Seine-Saint-Denis, were absent in the morning.
Exhausted by understaffing, the health crisis and winter epidemics, none of the four nurses showed up on Monday morning, reports the Parisian. The head of the service, Simon Escoda, had to resolve to close the reception of patients.
Only vital emergencies are received
Only vital emergencies were taken care of during the day. In all, 25 children were admitted, compared to 110 to 130 normally. The other patients were redirected to other hospitals or health centers. On Tuesday again, signs encouraged patients to go to neighboring hospitals, in Paris, Bondy or Aulnay-sous-Bois.
Covid-19, influenza, gastric diseases and bronchiolitis got the better of the energy of caregivers who had already gone on strike on December 7 to request the reinforcement of the number of nurses and the hiring of two childcare auxiliaries and a stretcher bearer.