Lack of staff, summer holidays and 7th wave of Covid: this summer the emergency services of the hospitals of Indre-et-Loire are particularly in tension. To avoid overflow, professionals call not to rush: “during the day, you must first try to have an appointment with your doctor, or SOS doctor” indicates Philippe Paganelli, the president of the departmental council of the order of doctors.
From 8 p.m., it is the 15th that should be preferred. On the line, a regulating doctor can then take the measure of the emergency. Until midnight, three doctors are deployed in the department to intervene at home : “for elderly people in nursing homes, for example, who we do not want to send to the emergency room, because they are fragile“, explains Saïd Laribi, he directs the emergencies and the SAMU of the CHRU of Tours.
Between midnight and 8am, on the other hand, it is impossible to have a doctor at home. Whatever happens, you will have to contact 15: “If the person requires care, it will necessarily be in the emergency room“regrets Said Laribi.
150 people per day in Tours
At the CHRU of Tours, 150 people pass through the emergency room every day. In the other departments of the department, such as Amboise or Chinon, the schedule is not tenable this summer. As a result, they will be closed for a few nights in July and August. “We try to ensure that two services do not close at the same time“explains Saïd Laribi. An Amboisien who cannot go to the hospital will certainly go to the CHRU in Tours, which also increases the workload for the nursing staff, who are already in high demand.
If the emergencies of Tours do not close their doors, they are still amputated beds. In total, the hospital’s workforce will be reduced by 11%, more than usual. 12.5% of staff are currently lacking, reaching almost a third in some services. Anesthesiologists are also missing, perhaps forcing them to favor services such as emergencies or maternity wards in the summer over other interventions.
At the end of the line at SAMU, calls do not weaken: + 20% in June “we stretch our backs“ warns the emergency doctor. SMUR ambulances will remain operational for their part, regardless of the closure of the emergency services.