Things are not getting better at Remiremont hospital. A patient died in suspicious conditions on Tuesday in the Vosges establishment, already targeted by several complaints from patients’ families since 2022. The scheduled surgery activity was suspended, we learned on Thursday from the Regional Health Agency (ARS).
“Following the unexpected death of a patient at the Remiremont Hospital Center in surgery, and due to the general context in particular regarding complaints, it was decided, as a precautionary measure, to suspend all scheduled surgical activity” , also indicated the establishment in a press release, confirming initial information from the Point. Only surgical emergencies will be provided until at least Wednesday, “the decision to resume activity” not being taken until October 11, according to the establishment.
An investigation is being carried out to “analyze the situation and verify that all medical and surgical organizations are fully compliant with the rules of the establishment” to guarantee the safety of care.
The Remiremont hospital center “immediately informed the ARS of the death which occurred on October 3 and immediately made a declaration of a serious adverse event according to the regulatory alert procedure”, specified to the ARS Grand-Est. This adds that “the elements of the medical file (of the deceased patient) are currently being analyzed by the ARS medical inspectors”.
Deaths deemed suspicious
The hospital has been the subject of 12 complaints filed by patients’ families since 2022. At least seven of them were filed by families after deaths of patients deemed suspicious by their loved ones. Following these various complaints, “the ARS had already initiated, from January 2, 2023, a medical-administrative inspection responsible in particular for examining each identified case”.
The agency indicates that “provisional observations from ARS inspectors were shared at the establishment in September”. The hospital now has “a period of time” to “formulate its response to the inspectors’ observations and provide any useful clarification”.
The association “AJC for them”, which wants to help and “unite the families” of patients who died at the Remiremont hospital, will hold a press conference on Monday, to “communicate on the slowness of justice” following these filing complaints and “challenging” the Ministers of Health and Justice “on the seriousness of such dysfunctions within the public hospital”. This press conference had been scheduled before this new event.