The CGT union organized a day of debate on public health and more specifically on the Orpea scandal, highlighted by the book “Les Fossoyeurs”.
The Departmental Union of the CGT organized a day of debate around the Orpea scandal and more generally on public health. Christophe Couderc, CGT delegate of the Clinique du Pont de Chaume, surrounded by Dominique Chave, secretary general of the federal union of private health, and Guillaume Gobet, former chef in an establishment of the Orpea group, were at the podium.
Around the table, around forty participants debated the excesses and abuses of lucrative health groups. Victor Castanet’s investigative book “Les Fossoyeurs” served as a support to launch the discussions. For three years, this independent investigative journalist investigated, in memory of his grandfather, the multiple excesses of private nursing homes which are supported by a vast network of influence.
He met 250 witnesses (abused elderly people, abused employees), highlighted the accounting acrobatics and the squandered public money. His book published by Fayard has sold 225,000 copies. For Dominique Chave: “The purpose of this day of debate is to regain control of private health groups which benefit from public money from social security and the state to force-feed their shareholders. The system put in place leaves the share beautiful to cheating, there is no control. For example, the ARS finances nursing assistant positions and it is service agents who are recruited. In Spain, a nurse is in charge of 8 patients, in France in the clinics, there are 15 patients”. Another denounced example, retrocommissions or back margins: “These are rebates granted by suppliers. They can go up to 30% on the price of diapers, which are invoiced at a high price to social security. This principle is common”.
It was underlined that the private associative groups do not supply the pension funds, but are at the head of a significant real estate heritage. “Today, politicians must take their responsibilities and nationalize them. The astronomical sums paid to the private sector lead to a lack of means in the public service which is not in deficit, but underfunded”.
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