Olivier Véran asks all hospitals to activate their white plan to free up beds for Covid patients -

Jacques Witt / SIPA

Free up beds for Covid patients.

Faced with the "risk of saturation" in hospitals in certain territories, "it becomes necessary to increase more strongly the possibilities of taking charge of patients" infected by the coronavirus, wrote the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, in a letter addressed Wednesday to hospital directors.

All French health establishments must therefore launch “without waiting” their white plan, “the first levels of deprogramming” and to verify “the effective implementation” of these postponements.

Exception for cancers, transplants, chronic and psychiatric patients

In the regions "most in tension", it enjoins health establishments "to activate without waiting the higher levels, by deprogramming all the surgical and medical activities which can be".

However, these measures must preserve the care of cancer, transplants, chronic patients "requiring urgent care", as well as psychiatry, "in particular minors with mental disabilities".

The objective is to "reach the maximum capacities as quickly as possible" in resuscitation beds.

Their number, already raised from 5,100 to 5,800 after the first epidemic wave, had risen to 6,400 at the start of the week and should soon exceed 7,000, said Mr. Véran on Thursday morning on France Info.

Objective: 10,000 intensive care beds

The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced Wednesday evening that the resuscitation capacities would be increased to 10,000 beds.

"The provision of additional beds" in all regions also aims to "ensure solidarity between the territories by transferring patients", adds Mr. Véran in his letter.

According to the Ministry of Health, at least 27 patients have already been evacuated by plane from the south-east to the west of the country.

In addition, to guarantee the necessary reinforcements, “health students can be mobilized”, even if it means “partially or totally suspending their training”.

In another letter sent to liberal doctors, the minister indicates that he has decided to "make teleconsultations by telephone again possible for certain patients", as was the case between March and July.

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  • Olivier Véran