The former Minister of Health, Xavier Bertrand, arrested on an alleged proximity with the management of the Orpea group accused of serious malfunctions in his Ehpad, underlined Thursday that it was then his
"role"
to support the creation of places in retirement homes.
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Ehpad scandal: Orpea in the middle of a storm
“Yes, I have had authorization requests for retirement homes from the Orpea group examined, as for all the other groups which had submitted files”
, declared Xavier Bertrand, president LR of Hauts de France, in plenary session of the regional assembly.
“Giving authorizations was the role of the minister that I was, it was my mission”
, he continued, responding to a call to explain his links with Orpea launched on twitter by an adviser. regional opposition, environmentalist Benjamin Lucas.
“It would have to be done again, I will do it again”
"For three and a half years I did it in compliance with the regulations (...) it would have to be done again, I will do
it again", hammered Xavier Bertrand, recalling that he had put in place a
"old age"
plan for improve the care of the elderly.
Minister of Health from 2005 to 2009, he was implicated in Xavier Castanet's investigative book,
Les Fossoyeurs
, which reports testimonies reporting privileged relations between Orpea and him.
The director general of Orpea Jean-Christophe Romersi is summoned on February 1 by the government, after the revelations of this book evoking a rationing of medical care and hygiene, even meals for residents to improve profitability.
