“I want to give back a real place to city medicine”
Our political interview of the month focuses on Christophe Robino, appointed Government Counselor – Minister of Social Affairs and Health last April.
This is a new step in Christophe Robino’s commitment to the Principality. After being appointed, last April, Government Counselor – Minister of Social Affairs and Health within the Prince’s Government, thus giving up his place on the National Council, Christophe Robino told us about his career.
After studying at the Faculty of Medicine of Nice, an internship and a clinic in Paris, at the Necker Hospital and at the European Georges Pompidou Hospital as a nephrologist and medical resuscitator, Christophe Robino ended up returning to the Principality, to officiate at the Princess Grace Hospital Center, as head of department.
Little by little, the doctor became involved in the functioning of the institution, becoming President of the College of Continuing Medical Education of Monaco, then of the Syndicate of Hospital Practitioners. He quickly occupied other major positions, such as president of the Establishment Medical Commission for five years, or member of the Board of Directors of the CHPG.
Admitted to the Steering Committee of the Union for the Principality in 2010, he served four terms at the office of the Council of the Order of Physicians, before standing for national elections in 2013 on the Horizon Monaco list, then in 2018 on the First.
On the strength of this professional career, Christophe Robino now works within the Prince’s Government. He agreed to answer our questions and discuss his future plans for this new key position.
I feel very proud of the trust placed in me and very grateful to our Sovereign Prince who has always defended the hospital cause and the social cause through our institutions.
What is your assessment of your years spent on the National Council? What advice do you give to your successor?
These years have been extremely rewarding. They allowed me to get to know a lot of people: civil servants, elected officials, government and civil society personalities, social partners with whom I tried to maintain the best possible relations, the objectives being to listen, learn, to understand, to exchange in order to acquire political experience, knowledge of the field, and to be able to participate, always under the authority of our Sovereign Prince, in the development of the legislative work essential to the proper functioning and adaptation of our institutions to international developments.
If I have only one piece of advice to give to my successor and friend, Marc MOUROU, as President of the Commission for Social Interests and Diverse Affairs (CISAD), it is to always take the time to reflect, to take advice from all the parties before making a decision and to know how to stand firm when it is necessary in the name of the general interest. It is obviously not the easiest thing to do as an elected official, but it is, in my opinion, one of the essential aspects of the mandate of National Councilor that we owe to our voters.
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How would you describe your experience at the CHPG?
It was a great adventure, both professionally and personally. I am committed to developing the service that I directed, whether in my own specialty, Nephrology, with the creation of an acute dialysis unit, or for the other specialties attached to it: Endocrinology, Neurology and Dermatology. I participated in the creation of the CFMCM and its approval by France as a continuing medical education organization. There was also the beginnings of the Food Nutrition Liaison Committee, then the Therapeutic Education Coordination and Liaison Committee, and above all the adventure of certification with France. I was also able to defend the interests of the medical community within the Union of Hospital Practitioners, as well as of the entire hospital community through the CME and the Board of Directors.
You are now a Government Counselor – Minister of Social Affairs and Health. How did this appointment take place?
In fact, I was simply approached to find out if the idea of serving my country other than through my profession and my duties as an elected official could interest me. You know the rest. I must say that I was extremely well received by high-performance teams with whom I enjoy working.
The repatriation of the future Caisse Monégasque de Retraite Complémentaire is essential for the future.
How did you feel when this position was offered to you?
A very great pride for the trust that has been shown in me and a very great recognition for our Sovereign Prince who has always defended the hospital cause and the social cause through our institutions.
What are your objectives and the cases you want to deal with as a priority?
There are many projects underway with, of course, the most visible construction of the NCHPG which is a real challenge for the future.
We must manage the consequences of the COVID crisis and its human and social consequences. To do this, I would like to continue the dialogue with the social partners, taking into account broad representation.
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I also need to work with my colleagues from the Government on measures to attract employment in the Principality, facilitate accessibility for commuters, think about taking into account the arduous nature of certain professions.
And of course preserve and improve our social protection system, particularly in supporting our elders but also in the context of child protection.
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How do you view the health system in Monaco? Are there, in your opinion, avenues for improvement that could be followed?
It is, in many ways, very efficient with a very comprehensive range of treatments and remarkable technical platforms.
We must of course reflect on the adaptation of existing health structures in the perspective of the NCHPG and the increasingly strong competition from establishments in the Alpes Maritimes with the recent establishment of several private health groups.
I also want to think about repositioning city medicine, giving it a real place, in order to relieve the hospital structure, in different disciplines, of an increasing volume of non-urgent consultations.
Finally, I would like to remind you in general of the screening and prevention policies and more particularly in the context of the return and home care of the elderly after hospitalization.
During the health crisis, the Monegasque health system collaborated with neighboring municipalities. Could this give new impetus to a more intimate collaboration between France and Monaco?
I remain convinced of the importance of the privileged relations that exist between our two countries and of the need to maintain an active and dynamic collaboration between us. This was particularly illustrated during the health crisis where, within the framework of our agreements, we were able to benefit from the support of France for access to vaccines and more recently to preventive or curative treatments against COVID-19 and in return the assist by welcoming intensive care patients when neighboring establishments were overwhelmed.
I hope, through the exchanges that we have with the French authorities, as well as these historical links and to perpetuate our collaboration, in particular through joint projects such as the Child Psychiatry Day Hospital, which will soon open in Beausoleil, fruit the bringing together of the teams of the LENVAL Foundation and the Monegasque authorities, which will make it possible to accommodate 35 students with difficulties in school integration, from France and Monaco, and will thus meet a shared need.