Marie-Claire, 86, just wanted to go see her 91-year-old lover, who has been hospitalized far from her for four days. But she was unable to access the hospital in Périgueux (Dordogne). And she even got told off when she asked for help to go to the building.
No disabled space available
Marie-Claire lives in Peyrignac. On Monday, August 26, this disabled octogenarian decided to go visit her partner, who had been hospitalized for a few days in Périgueux. When she arrived in the hospital parking lot, in the middle of the afternoon, there was no no disabled space available. She has to park at the bottom of the slope, far away from the building entrance. “And I’m not an athlete, so as soon as there’s a slope, I can’t get over the obstacle. My friend has to push my chair. But since he’s the one in the bed, well, I find myself all alone.”says the retiree.
Nobody helps himso she turns around. 100 kilometers of road for nothing. And the sadness of not having seen her companion. So once back, Marie-Claire calls the hospital. She gets through to a switchboard operator to whom she asks: “Isn’t there someone at the hospital I can call to come help me?”. “There is no butler here”the operator answers curtly. “I didn’t think I was in a 3-star hotel either”laughs Marie-Claire bitterly.
“Of course it’s violent”
Marie-Claire is in a wheelchair for 40 years. Although she is used to hardships and discrimination, this kind of humiliation remains very hard to live with. She says she felt a lot of “contempt”. “Of course it’s violent. What did you want me to say to him? If I had gotten angry, I would have said to him: ‘Wait until there is someone like me in your entourage, you will see what it feels like'”Marie-Claire is moved.
But Marie-Claire didn’t get upset. In a calm tone, she explained that she would just like that disabled spaces are better respected. Or that new locations are built.
Not a question of numbers, but of usage
Contacted, the Périgueux hospital responded, through Majid Tkoub, Director of Legal Affairs, Users, Risks and Quality, that there was no “hasn’t had any other complaints of the same type for a very long time”. He recalls that there exists a procedure for making complaintsall of which are studied by the user management which is diligent each time an internal investigation. This will be the case if Marie-Claire makes a complaint. “If it turns out that there was an improper exchange, there would obviously be a necessary recall.”specifies Majid Tkoub.
As for disabled spaces, “It is not the number that is insufficient or unsuitable, it is the usage”explains Majid Tkoub. He assures that the hospital complies with regulationsbut that there are “incivility” : people who are not disabled park in spaces reserved for people with reduced mobilityThe hospital says it calls the municipal police when it notices violations. But it does not plan to build new disabled spaces at the moment.
