Professor Jean-Luc Jouve warns about the situation in Marseille
Faced with the lack of personnel and places in intensive care, the president of the medical commission of the hospitals of Marseille Jean-Luc Jouve called for solidarity between health establishments to fight against the fifth wave of Covid-19.
Two days after the activation of the white plan in hospitals in the Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur region, Prof. Jean-Luc Jouve, president of the medical commission for hospitals in Marseille, expressed his concern about BFM Marseille Provence about increased hospital pressure and a call for solidarity between health establishments.
In the midst of the fifth wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Bouches-du-Rhône department has seen its health indicators increase in recent days. On December 9, the incidence rate rose to 670 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 61% of intensive care beds are occupied by patients ill with Covid-19, according to data from Covid Tracker.
“Usually the intensive care unit is practically full in a structure like the AP-HM and there we assume all this surplus, that means that we have to manage to place everyone, it is very difficult. ‘hui’ hui we have zero free beds in intensive care “lamented Jean-Luc Jouve.
“A wave of unvaccinated patients”
As for the profile of patients hospitalized in the hospitals of the AP-HM, “85% are not or poorly vaccinated”, that is to say people who have received only one dose of vaccine or who need a third injection.
For the others, “these are patients who are well vaccinated, but they have other diseases alongside such as diabetes, overweight or immunosuppression linked to cancer. […] there is not the slightest doubt, we are on a wave of unvaccinated patients, “said Jean-Luc Jouve.
Staff “at the end of their rope”
The lack of beds is compounded by the fatigue of the nursing staff. “This fifth wave is coming to hospitals which are tired, in poor condition, and for many years, with staff who are exhausted and who have, for many, left the hospital,” he explained.
“We have fewer hospital staff available than during the first wave, which is one of the reasons why we will not be able to open all the intensive care beds that we could open in the first wave”.
If the activation of the white plan allows in particular the requisition of additional personnel, the professor of the AP-HM explained that this option is not activated for the moment. “We have a staff who are very, very tired, who are a bit at the end of their rope, we are going to emphasize the other possible means”.
Appeal for the solidarity of private hospitals
This is why Jean-Luc Jouve also called for the establishment of “major solidarity measures” to deal with new arrivals in intensive care.
“The public hospital will need strong help from private hospitalization, that it can deprogram its patients, that it can come as reinforcements, either in its beds, or by sending us some of its staff but we will have to find means, be original, and come to support the public hospital which does most of the work “indicated the professor.
“Non-profit hospitals also do it, on the other hand at the level of private establishments there is still a little delay in switching on and we can no longer afford delays” he warned before adding: “we needs an act of solidarity with an ARS that is very proactive. “
Caroline Ageron, director of the Bouches-du-Rhône departmental delegation of the Regional Health Agency, has also explained on BFM Marseille to expect “a continued increase in the arrival of patients, that this either in hospitalization or in intensive care “. “We are trying to anticipate, to support this increase in load,” she assured.