The first reinforcements from the army have arrived in Martinique in order to increase "
the reception capacity in intensive care
" at the CHU of Fort-de-France to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, the Armed Forces in the West Indies said on Tuesday in a statement.
Read also: Covid-19: the pressure on hospitals continues to mount in France
Of the 50 soldiers from the army health service and the army medical regiment who must be deployed by Friday, 37 were integrated Tuesday at the University Hospital Center (CHU) with means that will "
increase its reception capacity in intensive care of 5 places then of ten before the end of the week
”, they specified.
"
The mission is to support the civilian health system,
" said Yves Asencio, resuscitator anesthesiologist and chief doctor of the military resuscitation module (mmr) on his arrival.
"
The Armies are used to working in an emergency with short deadlines to support the population,
" he stressed.
"It's getting more and more complicated"
"
The overflow into the hospital and the massive influx of patients in serious condition made it necessary to increase the number of intensive care beds,
" said Jérôme Viguier, director of the Regional Health Agency ( ARS), on RCI radio.
"
We adapt the requests for reinforcements according to the level of saturation of the hospital but it is becoming more and more complicated with the deterioration of the situation in Guadeloupe and the situations which are worsening in certain territories of France
", a he recognized.
In Martinique, 198 patients were hospitalized on Monday including 37 in intensive care, 8 deaths having been recorded between Sunday and Monday. Between July 13 and August 2, 45 patients lost their lives at the CHU. The island was reconfigured last Friday for a period of at least three weeks. Three Covid patients in intensive care were transferred to mainland France from Martinique on Sunday and were taken care of in AP-HP establishments in Ile-de-France.