“At a time when the population is doubling and everything is crowded, we are not able to provide emergencies,” says Michel Fuentes, secretary general of Force Ouvrière (FO) at the University Hospital Center (CHU) in Nice. He denounces “for a long time” this situation but feels “despised”. The situation then exploded “on the eve of July 14”.
Since Monday evening, this CHU service has been redirecting “less urgent” cases to the five other hospitals in the department or private clinics. “I am fighting so that we all have access to care, it is one of the pillars of France and it is collapsing”, alarms the secretary general FO who recalls that the adult emergencies of Nice are the first of France with more than 300 passages per day.
The alert to the regional health agency (ARS) was then given at 4 p.m. Monday, according to Nice morning, where admissions were limited by 20 to 30%, told the local newspaper Pierre-Marie Tardieux, head of the Samu emergency department, Smur 06 of the Nice University Hospital. None of the 100 beds were available on Monday evening when “230 entries” had been recorded at 8 p.m., and this, since midnight. According to the manager, “up to 40% fewer staff” are currently observed due to holidays, Covid contamination or burnout.
A “Ségur No. 2”
According to Michel Fuentes, this situation is the result of “malaise” at the staff level. “The working conditions are not correct and scare away health professionals. We can no longer recruit and above all, we can’t keep our staff. We are obliged to do nights four weekends a month whereas in the texts, it is maximum two. And we have nothing to eat during these services. Not a day goes by when someone comes to me crying because they want to quit. Do not talk to me about a medical desert in the countryside, this is the case in the 5th city of France, where we experienced the attacks, storm Alex and the Covid. »
He adds: “Instead of treating, the Nice hospital makes its staff sick. He calls for a “Ségur No. 2” with “attractiveness efforts” in a city where “life is very expensive” such as “reserved accommodation” and possibly “free” transport.
The FO secretary general will be received on Wednesday by the ARS and the city of Nice. Christian Estrosi reacted on Twitter by “denouncing this unacceptable situation”. He announced that he had “immediately contacted the Minister of Health so that rapid and lasting answers can be found” for the CHU and sent his “recognition” to the caregivers.