“Yes, we do sorting, we are forced to do that”, regrets the head of pediatric emergencies at a hospital in Nice

In the midst of a bronchiolitis epidemic, the head of pediatric emergencies at the Lenval hospital in Nice recognizes this: “Yes, we do sorting, today we are forced to do that”, regrets Dr. Philippe Babe on France Bleu Azur. However, the Minister of Health François Braun said four days ago that hospitals were not sorting patients. “I will not let it be said that we decide who we let live or die. Let’s be very clear, we do not sort children in hospital”, he assured on the occasion of the launch of a national hospital emergency plan to respond to the virulence of the epidemic.

>>> Infographic: visualize the evolution of the bronchiolitis epidemic

“We only keep the most serious and we send patients home who can wait and, if they get worse, will come back to the hospital to be hospitalized”, affirms Philippe Babe who reminds that “It’s part of the work of emergencies to sort out”. The doctor explains that the pediatric services are affected by the same problems of lack of personnel and beds as the services which deal with adults.

“For lack of available beds, we are often faced with keeping children all night on stretchers, while beds become available”.

Philippe Babe, head of pediatric emergencies at the Lenval hospital in Nice

at France Bleu Azur

Lenval pediatric emergencies had to start transferring small patients to other hospitals in the area, such as those in Antibes or Grasse, two weeks ago.

With 6,891 children going to the emergency room for bronchiolitis in the week from October 31 to November 6, of which 2,337 children were hospitalized, the epidemic figures are at their highest. “for more than 10 years”, according to Public Health France.