A charter signed by more than 9,000 health professionals in France to improve access to care for patients with disabilities, which came to present, this Tuesday, May 3, Pascal Jacob, its founder.
The hospital center of Bagnols-sur-Cèze and its director, Jean-Philippe Sajus, received this Tuesday the author of the Romain-Jacob charter, Pascal Jacob.
This father of three children, two of whom are disabled, wrote this text in 2014. Its objective is to allow greater access to care for patients with disabilities by asking for better support for these people, more explanations on the care provided or better pain management.
Pascal Jacob took care to remind that this text was not made to judge doctors, but rather to “to move forward together towards improving the treatment of patients living with a disability”. It is in particular the lack of training of caregivers with disabilities that prompted him to write this charter. Today, only fifteen French universities offer courses adapted to these situations. The faculties of Montpellier and Nîmes are not included.
Two other major problems were raised by Pascal Jacob: the lack of equipment to support these people with disabilities and the same pricing for all patients. France is one of the only European countries not to differentiate the pricing of services between patients with disabilities and others. However, their care takes longer to perform for caregivers who are not paid more.
A questionnaire to assess needs
A barometer was designed by the Handidactic association, at the request of people with disabilities, to assess and develop the Romain-Jacob Charter. This initiative has been incorporated into the Caisse Nationale d’Assurance-Maladie, which finances it in order to sustain its action. In 2014, according to the figures collected, 95% of patients with disabilities declared that they had not received explanations about their care from caregivers. They would only be 40% today.
Written in twelve recommendations, the Romain-Jacob charter now appears at the entrance to the hospital centre. Its director considers this text as a “engagement moral“.
“A lesson in life and humility”
This visit was an opportunity for Pascal Jacob to tell the story of his charter. The latter was born from a report that its author submitted to François Hollande, then President of the Republic.
On the advice of political figures, Pascal Jacob then goes to the French overseas departments and territories to survey the population in order to have more weight and write a charter. A few weeks before its finalization, his son Romain dies after being refused at the hospital.
The charter then takes the name of “Romain Jacob”. A story that greatly moved the people in the room, in particular the deputy Anthony Cellier, present for the occasion, who speaks of a “lesson of life and humility that does good”.
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