The action of the group of retirement homes Orpea lost more than 20% on the Paris Stock Exchange on Tuesday, following its questioning in a book denouncing serious failures in its establishments.
The title plunged 20.35% to 55.18 euros, after a 24-hour suspension of its quotation.
Read alsoOrpea unscrews on the stock market after the denunciation of serious failures in its nursing homes
Orpea, followed by other groups of accommodation establishments for the elderly or dependent (Ehpad) of the Paris Stock Exchange, had fallen on Monday after the publication in
Le Monde
of the "
good leaves
" of a book-investigation.
The independent journalist Victor Castanet describes a system where hygiene care, medical care, and even residents' meals are "
rationed
" to improve profitability.
“
I obtained testimonies according to which these dysfunctions had their origin in a policy of cost reduction implemented at a high level
” of the company, summarized the author with AFP.
The book comes out Wednesday.
Orpea contests the accusations
The company "
formally challenged
" Monday evening the accusations, which it considers "
false, outrageous and prejudicial
".
“
We are not rationing, it does not correspond to our directives, it does not correspond to our values
”, declared Jean-Christophe Romersi, director general of Orpea, on BFMTV on Tuesday evening.
"
We will never sacrifice the quality of support, the quality of care to any notion of profitability whatsoever
," he added.
Read alsoORPEA raises its revenue target after a good third quarter
For Laurent Berger, secretary general of the CFDT, “
if the situation is that described in the book, it is a pure scandal
”.
“
We must denounce, we must control, we must punish if it is proven
,” he said on RTL.
“
If the facts denounced are proven, some of them are unacceptable and likely to be condemned
”, commented for its part in a press release the AD-PA, the Association of directors serving the elderly.
The Minister of Health Olivier Véran assured Tuesday on LCI "
to take very seriously
" the book, while wanting to wait for "
factual elements
" "
We are going to ask him questions [to the Orpea group], I am waiting to have factual elements from the independent evaluation and control authorities
”, he developed, without excluding the opening of an investigation.
Other groups in the same sector were affected, including Korian, which lost 4.80% to 22.62 euros, after falling nearly 15% on Monday.
