in the daily life of a caregiver in New Caledonia

While the situation remains “difficult” in the archipelago, caregivers work in complicated conditions. franceinfo followed a caregiver in Nouméa.

The situation remains tense in Nouméa, where the police are stepping up operations to restore order, particularly in the northern districts of the city where roadblocks are omnipresent. These disturbances disrupt the daily lives of residents. It is difficult to find food, go to work or even get medical care. The Médipôle, a public hospital in Nouméa, is made very difficult to access for staff and patients seeking care. franceinfo met a front-line caregiver who talks about her organization during the crisis.

Her name is Mélissa and whenever she can she goes to visit her most vulnerable neighbors. That day she brings frozen onions and an inexhaustible supply of joie de vivre and energy which comfort Gracienne, 78 years old, holed up at home since the start of the violence. “There are many who say ‘we will help you, but I don’t see them’. I am sick and so is my husband”, testifies Gracienne. Mélissa juggles while doing the shopping. “I go shopping on foot with a backpack, I go to stores that are open and I wait in line. Like everyone else, I am limited in terms of bread and milk, so we share”she confides.

The mother of two boys, a caregiver at Médipôle for 20 years, actually has three jobs. “I look after children and work as a carer for the elderly”, she explains. But because of the riots, she can no longer go see these elderly people, so it is also a loss of salary for her. At the hospital, the shifts over the last few days have been particularly trying. The establishment monitored by the police was spared but it was surrounded by a succession of burned buildings open to the four winds.

Mélissa slept there last week, which is more convenient with the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew still in effect. “That too is starting to pose a problem because there isn’t enough space. It’s not designed for that. We share the beds, we share the sheets. Besides, we bring our own sheets. “, she describes. From now on, it is with a maritime shuttle that she will work at the Nouméa hospital because of the multiple blockages on the roads.

“On the other hand, transport is not secure either, so at some point we also take the risk of being spotted, of being taken for plainclothes law enforcement, it’s entirely possible”

Mélissa, caregiver in Nouméa

at franceinfo

Another concern: degraded working conditions, due to lack of personnel and lack of supplies. “The situation is worrying for us, caregivers, because we can see very clearly that the difficulties are accelerating, we have difficulty anticipating them,” confesses Melissa. She mentions in particular the problem of ‘transportation. “The transport of staff, hygiene products, outfits, food for patients, for caregivers. We were asked, for example, by email to come with our own toilet paper. These are banal and basic things but placed end to end, it creates a certain anxiety”assures Mélissa.

Constraints that also arise for patients. “There will be the problem of our elderly, of our vulnerable mothers. We are overwhelmed by the situation. Our patients at home who could go out are complicated and if they go out they take risks and we are worried,” she says.

Among the people she treats, Mélissa also received rioters injured during clashes. For them, “lots of wounds and burns, a few bullet wounds. I happened to talk with them, but we have the feeling that there is regret for these people. They tell us that they are still very happy to be in the hospital and we got them out of trouble They reassure us by telling us that normally we shouldn’t worry, that they will never come and make a mess in our house. are not sick and they are alcoholic, is this word reliable?”asks Melissa.