The situation becomes critical in the emergencies of the hospital of Saint-Etienne. As revealed on Tuesday France Bleu Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a patient of the establishment was forced to spend five days on a stretcher, because of the lack of available beds. Invited Thursday of Europe 1, the head of the emergency center of the University Hospital Patrick Mismetti regrets these impressive waiting times, and states "that it is unfortunately often the rule today".
"We can deplore his stay so long," says Patrick Mismetti, who says however that the patient "had medical and social conditions that made it difficult to obtain a bed in a unit of medicine."
"The reception conditions are more difficult"
"A patient who arrives is not hospitalized in a care unit right now," says the head of the Emergency Department. "The work of the emergency doctors is to make a diagnosis, to start a therapeutic strategy and to find the optimal destination to take care of the patient, and that, we never have it in 24 hours," he explains.
For Patrick Mismetti, a waiting time of 24-36 hours is finally "almost a reflection of the fact that emergency doctors are doing their job well". And to add: "Thanks to the investment of all, the quality of care is not questioned". On the other hand, he admits, "reception conditions are more difficult".
"Our hospitals are running full"
Indeed, "our hospitals are running full", alert the professor, hence a "small waiting time for patients who require an unplanned hospitalization". "It becomes a critical situation when one is beyond 36 hours, and unfortunately it is often the rule today," he laments, while the 72-year-old patient had to wait for 120 long hours . On the personnel side, we particularly point to the closing of 28 beds this summer.
"There are patients who, once they have been seen by doctors, are lined up in the corridors, today we are attacking the day with about thirty patients who have slept on stretchers, including one that is at 60 hours.It is more and more recurrent, and it is more acceptable, "testified, Thursday morning, Amandine, nurse in Saint-Etienne, at the microphone of Europe 1.