The hospital director only learned about it the night before.
The visit of the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, to the southern Ile-de-France hospital group (GHSIF) in Melun, this Thursday afternoon, surprised more than one.
“He's our second minister in a month and a half, and this is the Prime.
It is a great pride!
», Comments Dominique Peljak, director of the Seine-et-Marne site.
Allusion to the arrival of the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, when he was vaccinated on February 8 in Melun, all muscles out in front of the BFM TV camera.
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As soon as the news falls, the battle begins.
From Thursday morning, a site reconnaissance visit is organized in the presence of Dominique Peljak, the Prime Minister's chief of staff and the departmental director of public security in conjunction with the Seine-et-Marne prefecture.
It is a question of determining the route that Jean Castex will follow, checking the security aspects.
A deminers truck is sent to the site, which does not fail to intrigue some hospital users ... The location visit also ensures that the exchanges desired by the head of government with the staff will be able to take place. location.
Caregivers unsheathe their cellphones for a photo
Shortly after, at 2:30 p.m., Jean Castex and his staff arrive by the forecourt.
A few handpicked TV journalists are accepted.
In the atrium, many staff in white or blue coats appear at the railings of the floors.
Cell phones are brandished and hospital staff shoot photos of the surprise guest.
“He praised the extraordinary work of our caregivers.
When he told us:
You are the pride of the nation ...
It's touching, ”greets Dominique Peljak.
In a very small group, the Prime Minister visits the intensive care unit.
He walks into a room and stays talking for five or six minutes with an oxygen patient in his chair.
One of the few in this case because the others are bedridden and intubated.
The arrival of Jean Castex in the atrium of the Melun hospital did not go unnoticed. / DR
The Prime Minister speaks with staff.
"We have underlined the intensity of the epidemic and the increasing workload in the intensive care units," said Dr Mehran Monchi, head of intensive care at the GHSIF.
This Friday, his service listed 33 patients out of the 111 hospitalized because of the virus.
The third confinement gives him hope for improvement ... in three weeks.
Worried about seeing younger and younger patients
“Our establishment is facing a third wave.
With 111 hospitalized Covid, we are not far from the peak of the second wave
(Editor's note: 144 patients)
, but not yet the 220 observed during the peak of the first wave, ”comments Dominique Peljak, who deprograms all surgical operations not urgent.
“For ten days we have suffered with violence the influx of patients.
The average age is decreasing.
A 21-year-old boy died recently.
He had very few comorbidities.
"
Then Jean Castex discovered the new cardiology-nephrology wing opened on March 22 and with 36 beds, of which 18 were reconverted into continuous monitoring unit beds (against 12 initially planned).
In total, this brings the number of intensive care beds to 52.
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At 3.30 p.m., the Prime Minister gave a press point on the emergency room where he visited the service, then went to discover the vaccination center located in the old hospital.
About 700 vaccines per day are carried out there five days a week, excluding occasional operations on certain weekends.
“The teams also need to breathe.
Twenty doctors, 40 nurses and 40 administrative staff work there, not to mention four agents from the town of Melun for reception, ”explains Dominique Peljak.
Staff report degraded working conditions
The staff representatives have requested an interview.
“We met a health adviser to the Prime Minister, who listened to us.
We have talked about the deterioration of working conditions, staff with a third of contractual without salary evolution.
The 183 euros from Ségur do not compensate for difficulties such as returning to work on days off, rest or other.
The staff are exhausted, there is an urgent need for additional teams, ”says Fabienne Bézio, CGT delegate at GHSIF.
In fact, faced with the crisis, Dominique Peljak has already canceled RTT, days of recuperation and April training.
He has not yet touched the Easter holidays ...