Professor Didier Raoult, head of the Institut Méditerranée-Infection in Marseille, lodged a complaint with the Paris prosecutor's office for "slanderous denunciation" against the director of Paris hospitals (AP-HP), Martin Hirsch, who had it. accused of "false testimony".
Heard before the National Assembly's commission of inquiry on June 24, Didier Raoult, known for his ardent defense of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment against the new coronavirus, had affirmed that mortality in the intensive care units of the PA -HP was "43%". "With us, it is 16%," he added, relying on a report from the AP-HP crisis unit dated April 14.
Two days later, Martin Hirsch protested against these remarks. In a letter to Richard Ferrand, the president of the National Assembly, the former high commissioner estimated that the comments of the microbiologist "seem to be akin to false testimony", made under oath.
"Professor Raoult has always accepted controversies (scientists, Editor's note) but this goes beyond the scientific sphere", declared Me Brice Grazzini, lawyer for Didier Raoult. Recalling that his client “risks five years imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros”.
"Do not police the percentages"
At the end of June, Martin Hirsch confirmed the authenticity of the document invoked by Raoult but stressed that it dated almost three months ago at the time of the hearing and was therefore obsolete. He added that at the time, according to the same document, about half of the patients hospitalized in intensive care were still admitted there, and that it was therefore not known, then whether they would be cured or succumb.
At the beginning of July, the boss of the AP-HP assured that the mortality of patients with Covid-19 in his intensive care units was estimated between 25% and 35%, and not 43%. "My role is not to police the percentages, but if it is to (influence) the commission of inquiry on the basis of biased and partial data, it is my role to react promptly", he declared. July 6 in front of the deputies.
"There is no match between the AP-HP and the AP-HM, Professor Raoult was just talking about a lack of resources, because we had anticipated things by testing more in Marseille than elsewhere" , underlined Me Grazzini.
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Martin Hirsch was not the only one to protest: the hearing of Didier Raoult in front of the deputies had aroused many reactions of incomprehension and anger.
