A survey conducted under the aegis of the Scientific Council sounds the alarm on the shortage of beds in public hospitals in France. A hot topic that the government claims to want to follow closely. 

France: one in five beds closed for lack of caregivers in large public hospitals

"A certain number of units in hospitals are forced to temporarily close, or to reduce the wing, for lack of caregivers, especially for lack of being able to recruit", declared, this Wednesday, October 27, 2021, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran in an interview with the newspaper "Liberation".

REUTERS - Flavio Lo Scalzo

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

A survey conducted under the aegis of the Scientific Council sounds the alarm on the shortage of beds in public hospitals in France.

A hot topic that the government claims to want to follow closely.

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In Paris as in the region, the situation is worsening at the public hospital: closed beds are legion.

According to the newspaper

Liberation

, they represent 15% of beds in Cochin, 25% in Georges Pompidou, two large Parisian hospitals.

In the largest hospital in Marseille, around 15% of the beds are condemned.

In particular: the shortage of personnel.

There is a lack of doctors, orderlies and especially nurses.

Absenteeism is increasing, some professionals are moving into the private sector, and institutions are often struggling to recruit.

The situation is complicated

" in hospitals recognizes the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, who evokes "

an increase of nearly a third of vacant positions among paramedics compared to the fall of 2019

", in an interview with the newspaper .

An ancient and deep evil

All this says the disaffection of caregivers for the public hospital.

Many of them denounce, and this already long before the Covid crisis, the lack of resources, degraded working conditions, just in time, and which can compromise the proper care of patients.

The Covid crisis may also have played a role.

“Burnout” and anxiety disorders are reportedly frequent among caregivers, the Scientific Council has repeatedly warned.

But according to the deputy La France insoumise (LFI) Adrien Quatennens, the evil is old and above all deep.

A strong and rapid reaction is necessary for him.

“

There is a need to invest and invest massively in this common good which has largely deteriorated and with a staff which is exhausted and who needs reinforcement,

assures the elected official.

We are not going to ask people who for 58% of them have symptoms of "burn out" and for 32% of them are characterized by depression to treat people.
This is not serious.

Reforms are launched according to the majority

To this must be added a certain disappointment with regard to the measures the government announced a year ago to raise salaries and get the hospital afloat. On the side of the majority, if we recognize that the situation is worrying, there is no question of giving in to pessimism. Increase in the budget of the public hospital, the number of places in nursing school, revaluation of salaries: the necessary reforms have been launched according to the deputy La République en Marche (LaREM) Thomas Mesnier, health referent of the presidential party. It requires patience.

We started what should have been done for at least ten years and now we must give ourselves the time to implement it," he

says.

And possibly readjustment where we see that when it is implemented, we have to lift a few more brakes, do more here, differently there.
This is what is at stake in the implementation of our reforms.

France: one in five beds closed for lack of caregivers in large public hospitals

France: one in five beds closed for lack of caregivers in large public hospitals

An ancient and deep evil

Reforms are launched according to the majority

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