Le Figaro Marseille
The parents of a young patient in the emergency room of Hyères, in the Var region, who died in hospital on October 1 as a result of septic shock, have filed a complaint for "involuntary manslaughter", Le Figaro learned from their lawyer, confirming a report by Mediapart. The hydraulic technician died at 30 a.m. in his hospital bed, in the corridors of the facility, despite having been admitted on September 16 at around <> p.m. for severe stomach pains, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhoea.
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On December 12, we filed three complaints for manslaughter," said Thomas Callen. The first complaint is against the Hyères hospital as a legal entity. A second is aimed at the director of the hospital. Finally, there is a third complaint against X, which targets all the persons who contributed to this situation.
»Negligence
According to the lawyer, Lucas was the victim of "a series of negligences that begin as soon as he is admitted to the emergency room." "Already, the firefighters' report mentions rib pain," says Callen. But the emergency room admission report transcribes the firefighters' report with major oversights, such as rib pain. Then, Lucas has an abnormally high heart rate, and the medical staff is not going to do anything. He is sitting in the corridor of the hospital, on a stretcher with another patient, his companion in misfortune who has since testified. During this time, he exchanged in real time by text message with his parents who were waiting in the parking lot without being able to get in. He suffers a lot and no one takes care of him. From 21 p.m., he felt several fainting spells and was not even scopéd.
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When he was finally examined, around midnight, he was given only one minute, and it was implied, because he was wearing dreadlocks, that he had smoked, which was not true, the lawyer continued. It's not even a medical minute, but a minute of a priori. It's still neglected." On his stretcher, Lucas suffers from a meningococcal infection. "But the only thing we give him is Spasfon," Callen said.
In Lucas' medical report, a member of the hospital staff drew up a chilling assessment of the emergency room situation in Hyères shortly after midnight, "probably to protect himself," according to Mr. Callen. "Hospital under pressure," it reads. No room on the upper floors. No scanned box available in the emergency room. More stretchers available. Multiple calls from the fire brigade to the regulation to warn of the large influx. Doctor of the Smur in interventions most of the time, so only two doctors in the emergency room today. Repeated calls from the manager of the day and the on-call administrator to warn of the danger to patients." At two o'clock in the morning, Lucas died of septic shock.
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At the time, my clients don't understand what's going on," says the lawyer. The next morning, a doctor at the hospital receives Lucas' parents and urges them to sue the hospital, on the grounds that what happened the day before is abnormal. A few days later, he found an anonymous letter in their mailbox. Inside is Lucas' medical file, with the originals, and a CD-Rom of the scanners.
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Lack of resources
Armed with this information, the family decided to take the fight to court. "Lucas' mother has a political view of her son's death," Callen said. When we received her, the hospital was desolate. They offered their condolences, saying that they did what they could with the few means they have. But dying at the age of 25 on a stretcher in hospital is not normal.
»When contacted, the Hyères hospital said in a statement that "due to medical confidentiality, the management of the establishment is not authorized to disclose the details of the patient's file." "Regarding the death of a patient in the emergency department of the Hyères hospital, we would first like to associate ourselves with the emotion that this death has aroused in the family," the statement added. We have expressed our sincere condolences to him." The management also says it is ready to cooperate "fully with the investigation carried out by the competent authority".