While the Christmas holidays begin this Friday, December 17, the health situation continues to deteriorate in France. We take stock of the situation at Dijon University Hospital (Côte-d’Or) where the white plan was launched 10 days ago.
On Wednesday, December 8, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté launched the white plan for hospitals in the region, due to the pandemic context. As a reminder, the system makes it possible to mobilize all the human and material resources available to health centers to anticipate the massive influx of patients.
Almost 10 days after the implementation of the organizational measure, several professionals from the Dijon University Hospital take stock of the situation, in particular in terms of reception of people positive for Covid-19 and the availability of beds in emergency services. intensive care.
To cope with the fifth wave, three departments of the Dijon University Hospital have set up units dedicated to patient care. A fourth complementary unit was also launched this Friday, December 15.
Concretely, with the triggering of the white plan, the management of the hospital was able to reorganize its activity. Thus, certain poles, in particular those concerning surgical operations, have seen their activity be stopped or slowed down to allow full mobilization of staff on the treatment of the 68 Covid patients currently in the hospital.
“The plan is accompanied by the postponement of certain activities called assessment, patient follow-up until the beginning of January”, says Lucie Ligier, Deputy Director General. According to the unions, 30% of the activity is postponed in some services.
The maneuver then made it possible to transfer 15 health professionals to the Covid units. Orientation carried out on a voluntary basis. The system put in place on December 8 also allows each professional to work overtime if he wishes to support his colleagues involved in the care of patients. Again, on a voluntary basis.
According to management, there is therefore no question of forcing caregivers to take time out of their vacations. “It’s a message that was very clear, we want to preserve the rest, the holidays, the moments of breathing of our professionals during these end of year celebrations. They are tested, they need to rest, there is no ‘there is no cancellation of leave “, explains Lucie Ligier.
The white plan also makes it possible to mobilize beds from different departments in order to repatriate them to the departments dedicated to Covid. “There, we take beds from internal resources, in services that we are going to close elsewhere. It’s a game of musical chairs in fact”, compares François Thibaut, CGT manager.
This Friday, December 17, all the resuscitation beds at the CHU are also occupied. 15 patients were admitted to intensive care in the services of the Dijon hospital. This weekend, 8 additional beds will be opened.
People in a so-called “critical” situation, mostly unvaccinated and whose average age is around 50 to 60 years. “Three quarters of patients admitted to critical care are unvaccinated. We have some who are there because they have not received their third dose and others who have comorbidities and who are developing a severe form of Covid”, details Sébastien Mirek, anesthetist-resuscitator.
You are likely seeing younger patients, because patients over 65 have been vaccinated and have already received their third dose. And these people are careful to respect these barrier gestures.
Sebastien Mirek
anesthetist-resuscitator at Dijon CHU
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The anesthesiologist then recalls the importance of vaccination and respect for barrier gestures, which is more during the holiday season. “We have a united health system, but we must also be united with the teams mobilized. We will face it, but we must be reasonable and trust the scientists who issue recommendations”.
If the fifth wave were to continue, the Dijon University Hospital, in conjunction with the Burgundy-Franche-Comté ARS, then plans to evacuate patients outside the region.
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