surgical activity of a hospital suspended after a death deemed suspicious

According to information from Le Point, the suspicious death of a patient on Tuesday October 4 caused the suspension of surgical activity at Remiremont hospital, in the Vosges, France Bleu Sud Lorraine learned this Thursday October 5.

The management of the establishment made this decision by “precautionary measure”. Half of operating theater activity is suspended. Only emergencies are maintained.

The decision comes as the Remiremont hospital is the subject of several complaints for homicides and unintentional injuries from families of patients who died in the establishment in recent months.

Contacted by France Bleu Sud Lorraine, Dominique Cheveau, the director of the hospital, indicated that he had asked the fifteen surgeons of Remiremont to put on paper all the protocols, all the procedures, as well as guarantees concerning the organization of the service.

>> Vosges: a ninth complaint for involuntary homicide filed against the Remiremont hospital

As provided for in the procedure, the ARS (the Regional Health Agency) will carry out analyzes to understand what led to the death of a patient on Tuesday morning.

Remiremont hospital has been the subject of 12 complaints filed by families of patients since 2022. At least seven of them were filed by families after deaths of patients deemed suspicious by their loved ones.

Following these various complaints, the ARS Grand Est announced that it had initiated, as of January 2, 2023, “a medical-administrative inspection responsible in particular for examining each identified case”.