“But Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is already in crisis mode”, quips a health professional. A note sent Friday to the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) by the General Directorate of Health (DGS) prepares the spirits before a possible resumption of cases. It should not however change the way of managing the crisis in Drôme and Ardèche.
More beds available
“We have scheduled a last minute meeting to discuss this” : some admit having been taken aback by this note. Sent to the ARS on Friday, she asks hospitals for a reinforced reorganization of services before Thursday to counter the increase in patients.
The authorities are worried about the variants increasingly present in the territory. They represented 14% of positive cases in Auvergne-Rhône according to the latest flash survey published last week by Santé Publique France.
Strengthening of the monitoring of resuscitation beds, deprogramming “graduated and adapted to the epidemic situation”, mobilization of city medicine professionals: the instructions are varied in anticipation of a third wave. “It’s a pre-crisis organization”, confides ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, which nevertheless minimizes the scope of this note.
There are several reasons for this: our region has retained a higher bed capacity than before the crisis and several hospitals have already launched their white plan for several weeks. This is the case with establishments in Romans-sur-Isère and Montélimar. “What I tell you today may not be the norm tomorrow, explains Michel Cohen, the Montilian director. We have the ability to change our organization overnight. We are deprogramming according to the crisis and re-mobilizing staff from other departments in the covid units “.
The note therefore only confirms the reality of hospitals in Drôme and Ardèche. In Valence, if the hospital does not deprogram for the time being, the establishment leaves itself the possibility of doing so as soon as the situation requires it. “We’re not there yet”, underlines the management.
No crisis for the moment
Because the situation is not deteriorating for the moment in our departments. “The number of people hospitalized and in intensive care has been stable for more than two weeks”, says the Annonay hospital, which treats an average of 25 to 30 people per day. The same goes for Montélimar where around forty patients are hospitalized every day. “We are not saturated”, underlines Michel Cohen.
In Valence, the hospital has come down to 23 intensive care beds – four of which are not occupied on Monday -, against nearly 50 at the height of the crisis. And few are occupied by covid patients: eight in all. All professionals describe a high plateau but stable hospital pressure. “But as we have seen, everything can change in the space of a day”, tempers Michel Cohen anyway.
Enough caregivers for a third wave?
The real concern raised by this note is the isolation for seven days of healthcare workers positive for Covid-19, even if they are asymptomatic. A rule that “must not suffer from any exception”. The DGS refers to a recommendation from the High Council for Public Health. This possibility of employing sick personnel had made it possible to hold out during the second wave.
“Our organization risks being more complicated”, recognizes Michel Cohen, the director of the Montélimar hospital, who already calls on retirees from the hospital or who has still asked part-time workers to switch to full-time. Same (dis) organization at Romans hospital. Especially since the second wave had particularly affected caregivers.
To compensate for cancellations of paid vacation or longer days, the note announces an increase of 50% of overtime and the renewal of an exceptional allowance.
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