Paris (AFP)

The AP-HP announced Thursday that it had terminated the functions of head of the infectious disease specialist Christian Perronne, for having notably affirmed that Covid patients represented a financial boon for doctors, "comments considered unworthy of the function that he exercises ".

The Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) also indicates that it has lodged a complaint before the Order of Physicians against Professor Perronne, who until now was head of the infectious and tropical diseases department at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital in Garches (Hauts-de-Seine).

"For several months, in a context of health crisis, Professor Christian Perronne has made comments considered unworthy of the function he performs. The ethics college had been seized and underlined in an opinion which had been submitted to the person who did not take it into account, "said the AP-HP in a press release.

The infectious disease specialist has been in the sights of the Order of Physicians and the AP-HP since controversial remarks around hydroxychloroquine this summer.

He notably affirmed that a broad prescription of this treatment, promoted by Professor Didier Raoult but whose studies have concluded that it was not effective against Covid-19, would have made it possible to avoid 25,000 deaths in France .

He also accused doctors of the Nantes University Hospital of having "let (his) brother-in-law die" by refusing to prescribe this treatment.

In October, he had also caused controversy by denouncing that "a general practitioner who declares a positive Covid test for one of his patients, (...) receives money" in addition to the consultation and by affirming that for intensive care services, it would be the “jackpot” of keeping Covid patients “for a long time”.

The AP-HP establishment medical commission ruled on December 1 "with a motion (...) which condemned ad hominem attacks publicly uttered against a colleague" and the establishment which brings together 39 hospitals in Ile-de-France "has decided to file a complaint with the departmental council of the order of physicians".

The National Council of the Order of Physicians (CNOM) had already referred the departmental council of Hauts-de-Seine at the end of June, on which Christian Perronne depends, the starting point of a procedure that could lead to disciplinary proceedings.

© 2020 AFP