According to the latest French figures from the coronavirus epidemic, resuscitation services are increasingly busy, especially in Île-de-France.

Europe 1 visited the Melun hospital center in Seine-et-Marne to see how hospital staff are preparing for "the second wave".

REPORTAGE

The patient's chest rises ... then falls.

His eyes are closed, his face contorted.

A big pipe comes out of his mouth, connected to the device that keeps him alive.

"It is a ventilator which is used to breathe artificially", explains Merhan Monchi, head of intensive care at the Melun hospital center.

The patients treated in these services because of the coronavirus epidemic are more and more numerous in France, according to the latest figures published by Public Health France.

But at Melun hospital, where Europe 1 went to understand how these services are being prepared, the teams ensure they are ready. 

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And unlike the first wave in March, most French hospitals are now better prepared to face the virus, which has regained full vitality since the beginning of September.

Out of twenty-two beds in Melun, only two are occupied by Covid-19 patients at the moment, but the service is ready in the event of an influx of patients.

"The first step in increasing the capacity to accommodate severe patients is the possibility of transforming the twelve intensive care beds into resuscitation beds", details Merhan Monchi who specifies that the necessary equipment is ready and that it is sufficient just "to increase the number of nurses present in the service to be able to do so".

The team is "psychologically ready"

About twenty additional respirators are also stored in the basement of the hospital.

Beyond the equipment, the team is "psychologically ready", assures the health manager Magali Lenôtre.

"Unlike the first time, where we had to deploy everything in an emergency, we anticipated more."

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In addition to the number of beds, the hospital stocked up on masks, gowns and also medicines.

"On resuscitation drugs, we are today at a reserve level which corresponds to 40 years of usual consumption", specifies Merhan Monchi.

A security, but not a guarantee, which should make it possible to better absorb the second wave and the possible following ones.