Health: the pediatric emergency department of the Bordeaux University Hospital overwhelmed

A baby from to barely a month is hospitalized in the pediatric emergency department CHU de Bordeaux (Gironde), Tuesday November 1. The child, who was taken care of by the nursery nurses, should however have been admitted to intensive care. “There is currently no more room in intensive care”laments Floriane of barroschildcare worker. A distressing situation for Mariama Diopthe mother, who remains optimistic. “If there was room, he would have gone to intensive care, but it was still him who stayed here, so we keep this factor of positivity and we tell ourselves that it will be better”confides the mother of the baby.

This epidemic of bronchiolitis weakens the pediatric service. The number of patients has thus increased by 30% compared to normal. For lack of sufficient places, a waiting room was transformed into a hospital room. The situation is also critical in the intensive care unit, where around twenty paramedics are missing. Results : six beds have been closed, and 16 are already full. To cope, the hospital launched a white plan two weeks ago. Faced with the emergency, 150 million euros have already been released by the government to support services under strain.