Siam Spencer, edited by Gauthier Delomez 11:35 am, January 01, 2022
French hospitals fear a new wave of Covid-19 patients who are affected by the highly contagious Omicron variant.
This is the case of the Melun hospital center, in Seine-et-Marne, which is already suffering.
Europe 1 went to meet caregivers exhausted by the pandemic.
REPORTING
Two beds out of 30. This is all that remains in the intensive care unit of the Melun hospital center, in Seine-et-Marne.
These beds that will be filled in less than 24 hours.
At the CHU, caregivers fear being overwhelmed by a new wave of Covid-19, and in particular the variant Omicron, which is very contagious.
Currently in France, hospitals welcome more than 18,000 patients with Covid, including 3,500 in critical care.
Europe 1 went to the University Hospital of Melun.
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"We will not be able to go beyond what we are currently doing"
"We hope not to be overwhelmed by the number of patients requiring resuscitation who will arrive during the month of January," said at the microphone of Europe 1 Merhan Monchi, the head of the service.
For the moment, the patients received are all suffering from the Delta variant, but the Omicron wave is creating anxiety.
"Anyway this time, we will not be able to go beyond what we are currently doing. The numbers do not allow us to do what we did during the first wave and the second wave", adds- he does.
Exhausted caregivers
After a record number of resignations over the past two years, the workforce is low.
In total, 60,000 positions are still vacant in France, according to the national union of nursing professionals.
That is why those who have decided to stay are exhausted.
"The Covid is the majority of patients. I think we are all a little attacked and annoyed", breathes Carole, nurse in the service.
For the second year in a row, caregivers, emptied, did not have the opportunity to make the traditional New Year's drink because of clusters within the hospital.