As Olivier Véran announced on Thursday, patient transfers from Île-de-France began this Saturday.
Three patients were thus transferred to Nantes, Angers and Le Mans.
For the director of the Seine-Saint-Denis Samu, interviewed on Europe 1, an evacuation of 20% of patients from Île-de-France is "a real breath of fresh air".
Three first Covid-19 patients in intensive care in Ile-de-France were transferred on Saturday morning by helicopter to hospitals in western France, Frédéric Adnet, director of the Samu de Seine-Saint-, told AFP. Denis.
"Transfers are underway. These patients are going to Nantes, Angers and Le Mans," he said.
“At least four other patients” will be transferred on Sunday, he added.
Three regions will welcome the sick
These transfers are a "real breath of fresh air", confided Frédéric Adnet, at the microphone of Europe 1. For him, the evacuation of 20% of the sick seems to him to be "a good objective".
However, it is necessary "that they are in a stable state" and that "the families have given their agreement", specified the director of Samu of Seine-Saint-Denis.
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If it were decided, a more massive evacuation of patients by TGV would only take place "in the middle of next week" because there is "a huge logistics to put in place", he added.
At the SNCF, where it takes between 48 and 72 hours to equip a train, it was indicated on Friday that no official order had yet been placed.
For now, three regions have been selected to accommodate these patients: Pays de la Loire, Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
A new wave that worries
During his press conference Thursday, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran had indicated that the health authorities were preparing to transfer "dozens, even hundreds" of patients from the intensive care units of Ile-de-France.
"I cannot say that it is the intensity of the wave which will arrive in the coming weeks but it is a source of concern", underlined Frédéric Adnet at the microphone of Europe 1.
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The situation of Ile-de-France hospitals is particularly tense.
According to the Regional Health Agency, 1,082 patients were hospitalized on Friday in intensive care in the most populous region of the country.
Friday, Jean Castex had estimated that it was necessary "to be ready at any time to take additional measures".
For now, the executive has ruled out the reconfinement on weekends or full in Ile-de-France.
The director general of the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Martin Hirsch, for his part said that there was "between 20 and 30% of deprogramming" of non-urgent activities to make room for Covid patients.