“There is terrible collateral damage” for patients, explains a representative of the CHT of Nouméa

Access to the hospital center is increasingly difficult, for patients and caregivers alike, explains Thierry de Greslan, president of the establishment’s medical commission.

“It is estimated that on Thursday, three or four people would probably have died due to lack of access to care,” reported on Friday May 17 on franceinfo Thierry de Greslan, president of the medical establishment commission of the CHT, territorial hospital center of Nouméa.

“Today, I don’t have the figures. It’s a very difficult estimate. But there is collateral damage which is terrible,” he added. The last days, “we had around fifty dialysis patients who had not been able to access their dialysis”, he clarified. “We have patients who had not been dialyzed since Monday. We managed, by dialyzing last night and recovering a few patients, to reduce the number of 50 patients who are in Greater Nouméa”he stressed.

Access to the Nouméa hospital is made difficult due to roadblocks installed on the roads: “We are really having great difficulty bringing in our patients. We are having difficulty bringing in our caregivers. We have teams who have been working since Monday and who are exhausted”he explained. Medical teams brave roadblocks to come to work: “People are coming in little by little to be able to properly support the teams which are, in most cases, understaffed,” he explains.

The situation is however “calmer” Friday, according to local authorities, with the exception of neighborhoods out of control that the state will try to “to resume”, after four nights of violence. An advanced medical post was set up to allow “a first support” when necessary, announced the Caledonian government. In addition, the thousand law enforcement personnel sent as reinforcements have the mission of “release all these dams” to clear major roads.

The hospital’s emergency room has seen the number of patients decrease by 50% in recent days, or even by 80% for Thursday. “As the High Commissioner described it, we are in a situation of urban guerrilla warfare with its share of gunshot wounds, not that many, but still every evening,” said Thierry de Greslan. “We expect to have new violent riots this evening with gunfire clashes. We have injuries on both sides. It really is an absolutely dramatic situation. We also have many, many traumatic fractures.”, he stressed. The two operating theaters operate 24 hours a day: “We are ready to face this”, assures the president of the medical commission establishing the CHT. But he worries about “bounce” possible “which we know in all crises, that is to say patients who are not currently taken care of and who are extremely stressed”he said.

One of the two medicine storage sites intended for pharmacies in the archipelago was set on fire, as well as pharmacies: “People are calling us to find out where to get their medication. They have stopped taking them for several days. The nurses, some of whom are self-employed, are also braving roadblocks to go and do their work. There are self-employed doctors who have reopened their office and carry out teleconsultation consultations”, he explained. The Nouméa hospital currently has enough medicine: “We don’t have a major shortage yet. We have stocks. But if the situation were to persist, it’s certain that we will unfortunately see that”he explained.

Thierry de Greslan concluded with a message of appeasement: “I believe in the potential of Caledonia, to live together. I see it on a daily basis. Today, in the hospital, our teams are truly mixed, from all cultures and the people are very generous”he said. “I hope that this blow that has fallen on Caledonia will allow us to bounce back as quickly as possible and find peaceful solutions that allow people to seek treatment and then take care of themselves”did he declare.