Why does the Alès hospital accumulate 225,000 euros in unpaid rent in an nursing home?

L’Ehpad du Castellas propose 66 lits gérés par l’hôpital d’Alès. Midi Libre – Paul Barraud

Le centre hospitalier d’Alès, qui loue les locaux de la maison de retraite à Rousson, doit actuellement neuf mois de loyers à la commune, propriétaire des murs.

A slate of 225,000 euros currently not paid off. This is what the Alès hospital center currently owes to the town of Rousson and which provokes the fury of its mayor, Ghislain Chassary.

Cumulative receivables

The sum concerns the accumulation of rents owed by the Alès hospital center to the municipality for the occupation of the premises of the retirement home "Le Castellas". Built with municipal funds, in joint agreement with the hospital, this 66-bed retirement home is currently rented by hospital services for a specific rent of 75,865.39 euros ; per quarter (or nearly 303 500 € per year). The annuity allows the municipality of Rousson to repay its loan taken out for the construction of the establishment.

However, despite several reminders from Ghislain Chassary, a large part of the rents are missing: "The last two quarters of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024", or nine months' rent for an amount of "225 000  €". A situation which plunges "the municipality's treasury into the red". "Because of this delay, I am forced to slow down our investments!", protests the mayor, specifying that he is obliged to repay, without tolerated delay, his loan for the retirement home as a priority.

However, the anger of the elected official is also stimulated by the regular delays in hospital payments. "Until September 30, 2022, no delays have been noted", he explains. But from the end of 2022, delays are accumulating despite the reminders: "I was told each time: "Yes yes, yes yes, we will reimburse you!" But I'll let you guess what happens next!"

Ghislain Chassary went so far as to warn Aurélien Rousseau, Minister of Health at the time, during one of his trips to Alès in August 2023. "I received just after the rents for the end of 2022 and the first two quarters of 2023, but after that, nothing changed! It must be believed that the Alès hospital uses the budget of the commune of Rousson as a variable for adjusting its budget."

A "structural problem"

The Alès hospital center, through the voice of its deputy director Jean-Noël Gras, highlights "a complicated cash situation known to all& ;quot; to explain these payment delays, "this is a structural problem linked to the cumulative deficit of the ;hospital", forcing other payments to be prioritized.

Nevertheless, the hospital indicates that everything should return to normal next month: "We settle the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2023 in April , and the first quarter of 2024 in May. We will then systematically pay on a priority mandate."

A message received with skepticism by Ghislain Chassary. Failing to receive these payments, the mayor would have preferred to see Romain Cencic, director of the hospital, pay off this debt before his retirement on March 31. < /p> I subscribe to read more