Saturday, June 19, Lille interns demonstrated in Paris to denounce their extended weeks which contribute to creating uneasiness at work. Since the beginning of the year, in France, one to two interns have committed suicide per month.
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The medical interns mobilized this Saturday, May 19 to denounce their working conditions. A demonstration, which brought together a hundred people, took place in Paris and a small delegation of interns from Lille was present. And in particular Julian Bétrémieux, president of the Lille interns union: “In French law, it is stated that we must not do more than 48 hours per week. What we want is for the State to recognize that we are doing more”.
[Temps de travail non respecté, internes en danger]
✅ An intern is a doctor in training. Two half-days are devoted to this per week.
❌ In practice, nearly 1 #internal #IMG out of 4 cannot access this dedicated time.#EngagementTotal #PlaceAuxActes #PasPlusde48h pic.twitter.com/vB6JeA8yAX— ISNAR-IMG (@ISNARIMG) June 12, 2021
“We want the state to impose on hospitals the absence of interns when they have exceeded their quota of hours”
According to Julian Bétrémieux, who is himself an intern in psychiatry, this desired recognition does not mean an increase in salaries. “In fact, we want the state to impose on hospitals the absence of interns when they have exceeded their quota of hours”. According to the press release from the inter-union interns, these medical students work an average of 58.4 hours per week, and sometimes more than 70 hours in surgery. “It is not uncommon to work weeks longer than 80 hours and to chain two to three 24-hour shifts without sleep for a week”, denounces the press release.
This overload has dramatic consequences since “one or two interns have committed suicide per month in France since the beginning of the year”, announces the president of the Lille interns. He recognizes that in the region, certain initiatives are going in the right direction. For example, at the Lille University Hospital, a consultation for health students is offered to try to identify the most psychologically fragile: “it helps to identify fragile people who will not consult”. In the world of interns, the claims do not have a good reputation: “There is an omerta in our profession: some say to themselves that if they speak, they will not be able to have the internship or the position they want”, estimates the intern in psychiatry.
In Paris, the parade of interns stopped in front of the Ministry of Health. A delegation wished to be received by the Minister, Olivier Véran. Without success.
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