The Chartres hospital, in Eure-et-Loir, has “no particular difficulties in mobilizing” nursing staff this Friday evening of December 24, assures franceinfo its deputy director, Yvon Le Tilly. He recalls that “the peculiarity of a hospital is the spirit of solidarity which characterizes all the staff”.
He believes that today the situation, particularly in intensive care, in Chartres, is “relatively calm”, but he dreads the month of January, since he is already facing a “significant absenteeism” Staff. Yvon Le Tilly is also worried about the situation in other French hospitals, forced to close their emergency services on December 24, “lack of doctors”.
franceinfo: Did you manage to easily mobilize staff in your establishment for December 24?
Yvon Le Tilly: The peculiarity of a hospital is the spirit of solidarity which characterizes all the personnel, in particular among the care teams, whether they are doctors, nurses or nursing assistants. By definition, when you choose to work in a hospital, you know that you can work on Saturday, Sunday, December 31, the 24th. And in this emergency medicine department, as in the others. , there is a very good organization. The management asked volunteer professionals to work on December 24, and there were no particular difficulties in mobilizing them. The difficulties come more from the particular context linked to the health crisis, which forces all professionals to wear a mask at all times, and which also imposes on them, as on those who come to the hospital, particular restrictions.
What is the situation on December 24 at Chartres hospital?
The intensive care unit in Chartres, like in many other important towns, has been particularly in demand over the past two years. As we speak, the situation has finally become relatively calm. We have several beds available, and the number of patients in intensive care for Covid is more limited than in the past. But let us underline the fact that a certain number, if not the main thing, of the patients hospitalized in our hospital, as in many others, are unvaccinated people.
Some hospitals, like the one in Montaigu, in Vendée, closed their emergency services for December 24. What does this inspire you?
There, it touches on a problem quite different from that of the pandemic. This touches on a problem that is well known in France, linked to medical demography. We are witnessing an obvious desertification. We, in Chartres, are close to Paris, to large metropolises and we are not experiencing medical demographic problems, as many other establishments may experience. In addition, there is an aging population within the medical profession. And despite government decisions to sharply increase the numerus clausus, some establishments are forced to limit or even close certain services for lack of doctors. This is particularly the case in small establishments.
There is a lot of talk about disorganization in January, in particular due to the increase in work stoppages linked to the Omicron variant. Are you afraid of him too?
We are in a rather paradoxical situation since, according to health authorities, the Omicron variant is certainly much more contagious than the Delta variant, but would be significantly less dangerous. So, it is true that you raise a sensitive question since we are regularly, here as elsewhere, confronted with Covid situations among the members of our staff, so we try to find the most suitable strategy. We take decisions in consultation with medical officers of health and specialists. Some people who may have been in contact maintain their professional activity within an extremely strict framework, and they must take their break separately from other members of the staff. It is true that we are faced with a significant absenteeism.