Didier Jaffre, director of ARS Occitanie: “we can no longer continue with Saint-Affrique on one side and Millau on the other”

Didier Jaffre, directeur de l’agence régionale de santé (ARS) Occitanie en visite ce lundi 9 septembre à l’hôpital de Saint-Affrique. MIDI LIBRE – J.M COGNOT

This Monday, September 9, during the inauguration of the medical imaging of the Saint-Affrique hospital, Didier Jaffre, director of the Occitanie Regional Health Agency, discussed the files.

Since May, due to a lack of doctors, access to the Saint-Affrique emergency department has been regulated. Before going there, you must call 15, the Samu, in order to be directed. Obstetric emergencies are not affected. This Monday, during the inauguration of the Aveyron Sud medical imaging, Didier Jaffre, director of the Occitanie Regional Health Agency, answered the question.

What is the ARS doing to resolve the situation in the emergency room ?

We are working to ensure that the joint hospital is built as quickly as possible. First of all, the medical and care teams must function as if they were in the joint hospital. If I take the case of emergencies, this means that we must create a joint team so that the doctors work together, determine, when there are not enough of them to fill the schedules, which site remains open and which site is regulated. We can no longer continue with Saint-Affrique on one side and Millau on the other. It is today that we must think Millau Saint-Affrique common, even before the walls of the new hospital emerge from the ground.

What can you do to attract doctors ?

Doctors are the ones who can attract doctors. If they all work together, if the schedules and workloads are less substantial, we also finance the territorial solidarity bonuses so that they cooperate from one site to another, there is no issue. If you reason three doctors on one side and three on the other, no one will ever come. If you think of six doctors, that makes a guard line and you attract colleagues.

What about emergencies when there is a joint hospital ?

In Saint-Affrique there will be an Smur, a mobile emergency service, and some local services. But before defining what will be in Saint-Affrique, I want the joint hospital to be done. This is where we must put all our energy so that the joint hospital can be built by the end of 2028, beginning of 2029 at the latest.

What about investments in the nursing homes in Saint-Affrique ?

This is a common subject with the departmental council. It is part of a program. I do not have a very clear vision of the nursing homes and their work. This is part of a joint process with the departmental council.