While the Oise and Haut-Rhin are the areas most affected by coronavirus in France, hospitals are organizing to cope with an increase in care or at least prepare for it. This is the case of the Mulhouse hospital, which is one of the establishments to which the services have been asked to postpone non-emergency operations.
Questioned by Marion Gauthier for Europe 1, doctor Afif Ghassani, head of vascular surgery service, describes "an unprecedented situation": "We have rarely unprogrammed operations like that in a massive way, limited the influx of visitors to different services" , he describes specifying that, in his specialty, the interventions concerned are, for example "varicose vein surgery".
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"We are ready, all the staff are there"
"We must warn patients, deprogram them, also manage the nursing staff regarding their presence given the closure of schools and crèches ...", he explains. Wanting to be reassuring, Doctor Afif Ghassani adds: "We are ready, all the staff are there and I think that if we need our skills, we will be available".
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The accelerated spread of the coronavirus sounds the general mobilization of the health services, summoned to be ready to launch their "white plan" to face an exceptional situation. "We have started level 1 of the white plan which puts all the hospitals under tension to plan" the rapid implementation of the "essential means in case of an influx" of patients, underlined Jerome Salomon. A "white plan" had already been launched on February 25 in the hospitals of Creil and Compiègne. A "blue plan" which notably provides for an increase in staff to prevent the isolation of residents, will similarly be activated in the nursing homes.