"Humanly it's difficult because we see people die, the crisis lasts, we experienced a previous wave which was much calmer, and there it is not a hill, it is really a wall. », Says Tony Tekuataoa, head of the emergency department at the French Polynesia Hospital Center in Papeete.
In this overseas territory, the health situation is increasingly critical: the number of patients hospitalized for Covid-19 has continued to increase to reach 412 people, including 55 in intensive care.
The Delta variant is spreading rapidly in a society with a significant number of people who are obese, overweight, or suffering from other co-morbidities such as high blood pressure. “We must still blame the bad information with completely delusional speeches around the vaccine, adds Tony Tekuataoa. The figures are indisputable: 95% of patients in intensive care are not vaccinated. "
After using all the beds available in hospitals and clinics, the Papeete hospital center was forced on Friday to welcome its first patients in its central nave, a passageway converted into a hospitalization area. Seven medics and three medics arrived as reinforcements this week, while a cargo plane is due to land on Sunday with additional medical equipment. The local government has announced a "day of fasting" in memory of the victims of Covid-19, on September 5.