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Health: up to 30 km detour for health transport carpooling
Health: up to 30 km detour for health transport carpooling
(France 2)
For reasons of economy, patients who go to the hospital will now have to share the approved taxi. The detour to pick up another patient could be up to 30 km.
In front of the Melun hospital (Seine-et-Marne), on the morning of Friday May 3, patients arrive for their care. Most are alone on board, others in carpooling. The government wants to make carpooling compulsory. Instead of going directly to the hospital, a patient will have to share transportation with one or two people. The detour could be up to 30 km. “It’s not reasonable, 30 km. I’m patient, I’m going to do 4 hours of dialysis, I can’t wait to go home“, confides a man.
Skeptical associations
“If I have to take other clients, while he has an appointment here at 11:30 a.m., that means I have to make him leave at 9 or 9:30 a.m. to handle other clients.” deplores an ambulance driver. Medical transport costs Health Insurance 6 billion euros per year.
According to certain associations, the bet is risky for patients. “Patients in particular undergoing chemotherapy and dialysis, these are patients who are immunocompromised and therefore at very high risk compared to (…) respiratory viruses”, recalls Yvanie Caillé, the founder of the Renaloo association. Patients who refuse shared transportation will have to cover part of the costs, unless they have a doctor’s prescription.
