In recent days, with nearly 6,000 patients in intensive care, more than half of whom are Covid patients, our services have once again been saturated.
The vaccination will perhaps protect us from the records of the first wave of 2020. However, because of the physical and psychological exhaustion of health professionals and the numerous departures, the intensive care units could well drown with fewer patients.
In addition to “historic” structural difficulties, two years of crisis were added during which admissions followed one another at an unprecedented rate.
Since the start of the pandemic, resuscitation service professionals have been dealing with their resilience and their resilience is well established.
Nevertheless, faced with successive epidemic waves and in the absence of concrete answers to the difficulties of their services, doubt and discouragement set in.
The Covid health crisis has revealed both the capital importance of these services at the heart of the health system as well as their structural difficulties.
Resuscitators
Resuscitation, a last-ditch medicine, takes care of patients suffering from organ failures that compromise their vital prognosis.
In France, more than 300 resuscitation services operate thanks to specialized personnel - medical and paramedical - taking turns 7 days a week and 24 hours a day at the bedside.
The Covid health crisis has revealed both the capital importance of these services at the heart of the health system as well as their structural difficulties.
Unfortunately, it is clear that the solutions mentioned since March 2020 are not viable in the medium term.
Inter-regional and European solidarity has shown its limits with multiple epidemic outbreaks affecting the entire national territory, despite a vaccination coverage rate in France among the highest in Europe.
“Ephemeral” resuscitation beds, a useful response in the emergency of the first wave, do not allow the management of complex patients suffering from multiple organ failures.
Let us be clear: a useful resuscitation bed is a resuscitation bed armed with equipment and competent and experienced personnel, in accordance with the standards in force.
Read alsoThere is a lack of one to two doctors in each intensive care unit in France
The notion of health reserve, which is beneficial in the very short term, comes up against the difficulties of the Hospital as a whole.
The delays in taking care of non-Covid patients induced by the crisis make all caregivers even more essential in their assigned services.
The delays linked to the massive deprogramming of surgical procedures have not yet been absorbed.
While for nearly two years, the saturation rate of our services has been scrutinized daily by the public authorities, we are now awaiting a real roadmap, clear and quantified, in order to provide France with resuscitation worthy of this name.
To the public authorities who have been counting on our resilience for months, we are saying today "You needed resuscitation, today it is resuscitation that needs you".
The unequal distribution of the resuscitation supply in France is causing extremely strong tensions in certain peripheral hospitals and overseas.
Resuscitators
To respond to exceptional situations but also to current needs, to annual winter peaks and to the increasing needs linked to the aging of the population, we are awaiting ambitious measures.
It is urgent to lift the tensions on the recruitment of doctors. 329 resuscitator positions are currently vacant. In many departments, this forces our colleagues to perform 24-hour shifts every five days in addition to their daily work. To overcome this chronic shortage of resuscitators and ensure the attractiveness of this discipline, the number of physicians trained in resuscitation must be increased on a long-term basis.
The intensive care nurses are the real pillars of our services. However, their specific skills are not recognized either statutorily or financially, unlike our European neighbors. The crisis has shown us how urgent it is to reintroduce a resuscitation training module in the initial training of nurses, which has been removed since 2009. In addition, the technical nature of the profession but also the human skills essential to acquire to support patients at immediate risk to life and their families, justify recognition of a status based on skills and experience.
Finally, access to critical care should be guaranteed throughout the country.
The unequal distribution of the resuscitation supply in France is causing extremely strong tensions in certain peripheral hospitals and overseas.
With the Ségur de la santé, Olivier Véran has embodied the role of a minister who invests in the long term for the health of the French.
Today we are asking it to go further by giving medical and paramedical staff in intensive care services the means to exercise their profession in serene conditions and to provide France with resuscitation worthy of its rank.
The petitioners:
Dr Nadia Aissaoui, intensive medicine and intensive care, Cochin hospital, Paris
Dr Hafid Ait Oufella, medical resuscitation, Saint-Antoine hospital, Paris
Dr Djillali Annane, president of the Syndicate of Resuscitators, Head of the Intensive Medicine and Resuscitation Department, Raymond Poincaré Hospital, Garchep
Dr Laurent Argaud, head of the intensive care and intensive care unit, Édouard Herriot hospital, Lyon
Dr Pierre Asfar, intensive care intensive care, Angers University Hospital
Prof. Elie Azoulay, President of the Intensive Medicine and Resuscitation Sub-section of the National Council of Universities, Head of the Intensive Medicine and Resuscitation Department, Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris
Dr Cécile Aubron, intensive medicine and intensive care, Brest CHRU
Dr François Barbier, head of the intensive care and resuscitation service at the Orléans regional hospital
Dr Florent Bavozet, head of the intensive care and resuscitation service at the Dreux hospital center
Dr François Beloncle, intensive care intensive care, Angers University Hospital
Dr Marie-Catherine Besse, polyvalent resuscitation, CH Jacques Cœur, Bourges
Dr Laetitia Bodet Contentin, intensive care intensive care, Tours CHRU
Dr Florence Boissier, intensive care intensive care, Poitiers CHU
Dr Wulfran Bougouin, intensive medicine and resuscitation, Private Jacques Cartier hospital, Massy
Dr Thierry Boulain, intensive care intensive care, Orléans Regional Hospital Center
Dr Alexandre Boyer, intensive care intensive care, Bordeaux University Hospital
Dr Cédric Bruel, head of the multipurpose intensive care unit, Saint-Joseph hospital group, Paris
Dr Fabrice Bruneel, resuscitation-continuous monitoring unit, Versailles hospital center
Dr Emmanuel Canet, intensive care intensive care, Nantes University Hospital
Dr Gilles Capellier, intensive care unit, Besançon CHU
Dr Alain Cariou, intensive medicine and intensive care, Cochin hospital, Paris
Dr Guillaume Carteaux, intensive care intensive care, CHU Henri Mondor, Créteil
Dr Vincent Castelain, head of the intensive care medicine department, Hautepierre hospital, Strasbourg
Dr Alain Combes, head of intensive care and resuscitation, Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital group, Paris
Dr Rémi Coudroy, intensive care intensive care, Poitiers University Hospital
Dr Martin Cour, intensive care intensive care, Édouard Herriot hospital, Lyon
Dr Michael Darmon, intensive medicine and resuscitation, Saint-Louis hospital, Paris
Dr Nicolas de Prost, spokesperson for the National Professional Council for Intensive Resuscitation Medicine, Intensive Resuscitation Medicine, Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil
Dr Valentin de Villiers la Noue, Vice-president of the National Association of Young Intensive Care Doctors, Intensive Resuscitation Medicine, Reims University Hospital
Dr Jean Dellamonica, head of the intensive care unit in resuscitation, CHU de Nice
Dr Alexandre Demoule, head of the intensive care unit, resuscitation, Pitié-Salpêtrière university hospital, Paris
Dr Pierre-François Dequin, head of the intensive care unit, Tours CHRU
Dr Martin Dres, intensive care intensive care, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris
Dr Damien Du Cheyron, head of the intensive medicine intensive care unit, CHU de Caen-Normandie
Dr Stephan Ehrmann, President of the College of Teachers of Intensive Resuscitation, Intensive Resuscitation Medicine, Tours CHRU
Dr Jean-Pierre Frat, intensive care intensive care, CHU Jean Bernard, Poitiers
Dr Arnaud Galbois, intensive care unit, Claude Gallien private hospital, Quincy-Sous-Sénart
Dr Guillaume Geri, intensive care unit, CMC Ambroise Pare, Neuilly-sur-Seine
Dr Marion Giry, Vice-President of the National Association of Young Intensive Care Doctors, Intensive Resuscitation Medicine, Rouen University Hospital
Dr Dany Goldran-Toledano, head of the Intensive Medicine and Resuscitation department of the Le Raincy-Montfermeil inter-municipal hospital group
Dr Didier Gruson, intensive care intensive care, Bordeaux University Hospital
Dr Bertrand Guidet, head of the intensive medicine and intensive care unit, Saint-Antoine hospital, Paris
Dr Christophe Guitton, head of the medical and surgical intensive care unit & USC, Le Mans Hospital Center
Dr Olfa Hamzaoui, spokesperson for the National Professional Council of Intensive Medicine, Resuscitation, intensive medicine, resuscitation, Béclère hospital, Clamart
Dr Julie Helms, intensive medicine-intensive care, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg
Dr Sami Hraiech, intensive medicine, intensive care, public assistance hospitals in Marseille
Dr Julien Jabot, polyvalent intensive care unit, Saint-Denis de la Réunion
Dr Frédéric Jacobs, intensive care medicine, Béclère hospital, Clamart
Dr Etienne Javouhey, president of the French-speaking group of resuscitation and pediatric emergencies, head of the resuscitation and pediatric emergencies service at the woman mother child hospital, Lyon
Dr Mercé Jourdain, intensive medicine and intensive care, Roger Salengro hospital, Lille
Dr Mathieu Jozwiak, intensive care intensive care, CHU de Nice
Dr Boris Jung, intensive medicine and intensive care, Lapeyronie hospital, Montpellier
Dr Hatem Kallel, Head of the Multipurpose Resuscitation Department, Cayenne Hospital Center
Dr Antoine Kimmoun, Brabois intensive medicine and intensive care unit, Nancy CHRU
Dr Khaldoun Kuteifan, President of the College of Resuscitation of Extra-University Hospitals of France, Head of the Intensive Medicine and Resuscitation Department, Emile Müller Hospital, Mulhouse
Dr Charlotte Larrat, intensive care intensive care, Tours CHRU
Dr Jean-Baptiste Lascarrou, intensive care intensive care, Nantes University Hospital
Dr Alexandre Lautrette, head of the intensive medicine and resuscitation service at the Jean Perrin center, CLCC Jean Perrin and Clermont-Ferrand CHU
Dr Yves Le Tulzo, Head of the Infectious Diseases and Medical Resuscitation Department, Rennes University Hospital
Dr Bruno Levy, head of the Brabois intensive care unit, Nancy CHU
Dr Erwan L'Her, head of the intensive medicine and intensive care unit, Brest CHRU
Dr Lionel Liron, President of the Association of Resuscitators in the Private Sector, Multipurpose Adult Resuscitation, Médipôle Lyon, Villeurbanne
Dr Charles-Edouard Luyt, intensive care intensive care, Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital group, Paris
Dr Julien Maizel, head of the intensive care unit, Amiens University Hospital
Dr Frédéric Martino, medico-surgical resuscitation and continuous monitoring unit CHU de la Guadeloupe
Dr Philippe Mateu, head of intensive care and resuscitation, CH de Charleville-Mézières
Dr Éric Maury, President of the French Language Resuscitation Society, Intensive Medicine and Resuscitation, Saint Antoine Hospital, Paris
Dr Bruno Megarbane, head of the medical and toxicological intensive care unit, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris
Dr Hossein Mehdaoui, intensive care unit, Martinique University Hospital
Dr Armand Mekontso Dessap, head of the intensive care and resuscitation service, Henri Mondor hospital, Créteil
Dr Alain Mercat, head of the intensive care unit and president of the establishment medical committee, Angers University Hospital
Dr Fehrat Meziani, Head of the Intensive Medicine-Resuscitation Department, New Civil Hospital, Strasbourg
Dr Jean-Paul Mira, President of the National Professional Council Intensive Medicine Resuscitation, Head of the Intensive Medicine and Resuscitation Department, Cochin Hospital, Paris
Dr Bruno Mourvillier, Head of the Intensive Multipurpose Resuscitation Service, Robert Debré Hospital, Reims University Hospital
Dr Grégoire Muller, intensive care intensive care, CHR d'Orléans
Dr Saad Nseir, head of the intensive medicine-intensive care unit, Lille University Hospital
Dr Laurent Papazian, President designate of the French language intensive care company, intensive care medicine, public assistance hospitals in Marseille
Dr Frédéric Pène, intensive care intensive care, Cochin hospital, Paris
Dr Sophie Perinel-Ragey, intensive medicine intensive care unit G, CHU de Saint-Étienne
Dr Tai Pham, intensive care intensive care, Bicêtre Hospital, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre
Dr Jean-Pierre Quenot, head of the intensive medicine intensive care unit, Dijon University Hospital
Dr Jean Reignier, head of the intensive care and resuscitation service, Nantes University Hospital
Dr Sylvain Renolleau, pediatric medical and surgical resuscitation and continuous monitoring, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris
Dr Jean-Damien Ricard, elected member of the intensive medicine and intensive care unit of the National Council of Universities, head of the intensive medicine and intensive care unit, Louis Mourier hospital, Paris
Dr Jean-Christophe Richard, intensive care intensive care, La Croix-Rousse hospital, Lyon
Dr Jean-Philippe Rigaud, head of the intensive care unit at the Dieppe hospital center
Dr Damien Roux, intensive medicine and intensive care, Louis Mourier hospital, Paris
Dr Charlotte Salmon Gandonnière, intensive care intensive care, Tours CHRU
Dr Francesco Santoli, Head of the Multipurpose Resuscitation Service, Robert Ballanger Inter-municipal Hospital Center, Aulnay-Sous-Bois
Dr Sacha Sarfati, President of the National Association of Young Intensive Care Physicians, Intensive Medicine and Resuscitation Department, Rouen University Hospital
Dr Francis Scheider, intensive care medicine, Hautepierre hospital, Strasbourg
Dr Matthieu Schmidt, intensive care medicine, Pitié Salpêtrière hospital, Paris
Dr Carol Schwebel, head of intensive care and intensive care, CHU Grenoble-Alpes
Dr Michel Slama, deputy head of intensive medicine intensive care, University Hospital of Amiens
Dr Romain Sonneville, intensive care intensive care, Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital, Paris
Dr Bertrand Souweine, head of the intensive medicine intensive care unit, Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital
Dr Jean-Marc Tadié, infectious diseases and medical resuscitation, Pontchaillou Hospital, Rennes University Hospital
Dr Fabienne Tamion, head of intensive care, intensive care unit, Rouen University Hospital
Dr Jean-Louis Teboul, intensive care medicine, Bicêtre hospital, Kremlin-Bicêtre
Dr Nicolas Terzi, intensive resuscitation medicine, Grenoble University Hospital;
Dr Guillaume Thiery, intensive care medicine G, Saint-Etienne CHU
Dr Arnaud Thille, head of intensive care medicine, Poitiers CHU
Dr Jean-François Timsit, head of the intensive care unit, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris
Dr Thierry Vanderlinden, intensive care medicine, Saint-Philibert hospital, Lomme
Dr Philippe Vignon, head of the multipurpose intensive care unit, CHU de Limoges
Dr Christophe Vinsonneau, head of the intensive care medicine unit, Center hospitalier de Béthune
Dr Berengère Vivet, head of the multipurpose intensive care unit of the Haute-Saône hospital group, Vesoul
Dr Dominique Vodovar, medical and toxicological resuscitation, Lariboisière - Fernand Widal hospital, Paris
Dr Guillaume Voiriot, intensive care intensive care, Tenon hospital, Paris
Dr Nicolas Weiss, intensive care intensive care, Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, Paris
Dr Lara Zafrani, intensive care intensive care, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris