Angry nurses: “To make ends meet, a colleague now goes to pick pears every summer”

Financièrement exsangues pour certaines, les infirmières ont reçu une écoute bienveillante des automobilistes. C.R. – D.R.

Ce samedi 17 février, une trentaine d'infirmiers libéraux venus de l'Hérault et du Gard ont alerté pacifiquement les automobilistes. Sur le risque qu'ils estiment désormais bien réel de disparition de leur profession.

" At the start of Covid, we weren't even provided with hydroalcoholic gel… To protect myself from the virus, I had to make some myself, with vodka and of aloevera!", Julie Clot remembers exasperatedly.

At 46 years old, this liberal nurse in Nîmes still feels discredited by the authorities. And it is therefore alongside around thirty colleagues, coming from both Gard and Hérault, that this professional, passionate about her profession, but nevertheless exhausted, has therefore participated this Saturday, February 17, in its first towing operation at the Nîmes-Ouest entrance on the A9 motorway at the call of the national collective & ;quot;Angry liberal nurses.

"Many are considering jumping ship. It's not worth the cost anymore!"

"Created in December 2022, this collective urgently requests the revaluation of the pricing of our actions. Medical procedures set at 3.15 euros which have not been revalued since 2009 despite inflation which has jumped by 20%!!, denounces Yannick Allilaire, representative local of the collective.

In the presence of RN deputy Yoann Gillet, Dolorès Orlay-Moureau, deputy mayor of Nîmes delegate for health, or Denis Lanoy, secretary of the local section of the PCF, these nurses , equipped with their blue, green or pink fluorescent whistles, challenged the vast majority of attentive motorists, until around 4 p.m.

"Most have already dealt with a nurse or have a loved one in the medical field. Most of them are listening to our demands, greets Celine, in a white coat, also a nurse in Nîmes, who came towed with her husband.

"Today, many of us are thinking about jumping ship, out of exhaustion, in addition to lack of consideration. While we love our work, between the multiplication and diversification of tasks, the transition from retirement age to retirement at 67, and the non-financial revaluation of our work, it is no longer worth the cost! ", regrets in turn Marie-Jo nurse in Hérault near Etant de Thau.

"We want to favor home care at all costs, because it is much cheaper for the State's finances than hospitalization. But what are we going to do when there are no more liberal nurses!? Who will come and take care of the patients ?" , asks Dominique in turn, in front of the toll barrier.

And to add, bitterly: " To make ends meet, one of my colleagues now picks pears every  summer to ensure additional salary. In 2023, here we are.