Le Figaro Lyon
A year after the reports of fraud which led to the opening of an investigation against the boss of the Cosem centers and its 17 sites in France, the Lyon employees of the associative group are not letting up.
They were informed at the beginning of the month of the permanent closure of the center located on Cours Gambetta, on February 29, after two years of operation.
The director is concerned about a decision that will leave thousands of patients without doctors.
“There is an investigation for fraud against the president, and the group is having difficulty restoring its finances, so much so that
a
legal recovery procedure
has been initiated, with a judgment expected in mid-March
,” explains Élisa d’Angelo , the director of the Lyon center.
In this context, they decided to close the deficit centers, notably that of Saint-Étienne which is a medical desert.
In Lyon, we own the premises, which can put a little money back into the treasury
.
“Disarmed patients”
The center in the 7th arrondissement, which offers general medicine and dental consultations in particular, welcomes an often disadvantaged public in its premises located on the outskirts of the popular Guillotière district.
It also allows them to see specialists, particularly in cardiology.
This is the very essence of Cosem.
“We are a non-profit association, originally created for patients who have less income and do not have to pay anything out of their own pocket thanks to third-party mutual payment and social security operation
,” explains Élisa d'Angelo.
If the center is not at maximum capacity, the schedule is full.
Twelve practitioners for around twenty employees in total work on site.
“The GP sees up to 60 people a day.
We leave these patients helpless
,” she laments.
Élise d'Angelo also ensures that to date no employee has received a letter informing them of their economic dismissal.
So she continues to fill the schedules.
And increases the
“crys of warning”
in the face of a
“feeling of abandonment”
.