For almost a month, the seven resuscitation beds reserved for patients with Covid-19 have been occupied at the Charleville-Mézières hospital. Impossible for the establishment to open more. 6 patients had to be transferred to other establishments, in Picardy, Châlons-en-Champagne or the polyclinic of Reims-Bezanne.
In the medical service, 29 of the 30 beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients were occupied on Wednesday, January 5. Since the start of the fifth wave in November, capacity tripled in order to take care of more and more patients.
We must find beds
“Covid activity in the medicine sector has almost doubled over the past week and we do not have the feeling that this increase will stop in the coming days“, worries Thomas Talec, director of the Inter-municipal Hospital Center of Nord-Ardennes (China).
To free up additional beds, it is now necessary to look for space elsewhere. This week, new beds have been opened in Fumay and Nouzonville to take care of non-covid patients. A crisis meeting is to be held this Thursday, January 6 to free up new resources in Sedan and Charleville-Mézières.
“In previous waves, non-Covid activity was in decline and we could take beds to increase our capacity to take care of Covid patients. On this fifth wave, we have a greater need for non-Covid beds“, explains the director of China.
The hospitals of the North Ardennes are all the more under pressure as the deprogramming of certain interventions is no longer required. “It’s been two years since the crisis has lasted. This is not an exercise that can be repeated indefinitely“, believes Thomas Talec.
Caregivers and doctors in isolation
The wave is all the more submersive than at the Charleville-Mézières hospital as elsewhere, the virus does not spare caregivers. Emergency doctors, surgeons and caregivers have contracted Covid-19, depriving services of precious resources. “For now, we manage to manage. Agents are called on their days off. There is also a massive use of temporary workers and retirees, especially doctors, who lend us a hand.“, tempers who says he is however worried.
Out of the question, however, to recall unvaccinated caregivers suspended. “It is not possible“, says Thomas Talec. A dozen staff were suspended from the Charleville-Mézières hospital, including seven have resigned.