“Why not involve the population in the hospital of the future ?” ask caregivers from Millau and Saint-Affrique

Henri Célié, au nom des usagers, comme les syndicats et les soignants répètent leurs inquiétudes. Midi Libre – F.MAYET

Unions and caregivers from the Millau and Saint-Affrique hospitals are still very mobilized after their recent meeting with the director of the regional health agency (ARS) in Montpellier.

The sign, planted in the immediate vicinity of the RD 992 which descends from the heights of Millau to Saint-Georges de Luzençon passing under the viaduct, displays a green color. Not really that of hope for unions, caregivers and representatives of users of the hospitals of Millau and Saint-Affrique. This Tuesday evening, once again mobilized, they made this place chosen to host, by 2028, the future joint hospital, the symbol of their concerns.

Also read: One (small) step closer to the future joint hospital of Millau and Saint-Affrique

"The more we ask decision-makers for details, the more vague it becomes."  Corinne Mora (CGT Millau hospital) was one of the five people in the delegation (*) received in Montpellier last Friday by Didier Jaffre, director of ARSOccitanie. "One of the only advances in the three hours of interview concerns Mr. Jaffre’s commitment to ask the members of the steering committee so that unions and user representatives…&quot ;

Promise of a modernized hospital

Henri Célié, user representative, denounces "a profound modification of the South Aveyron medical project. And many doctors tell us they have never been able to discuss it. The promise was made of a modernized hospital, technical center, on the Saint-Georges de Luzençon site with the maintenance of the two local centers in Millau and Saint-Affrique."

The Millavois pediatrician Alain Cardinal remembers that in December 2022 "We were presented with a project for which we had not been consulted, in particular for the operation of the maternity ward. Now, due to the distance between caregivers, we do not meet the security criteria for on-call guards who must be able to intervene on site in less than fifteen minutes. This concerns emergency cesarean sections. The director of the ARS replied that the rules could be modified…This would be unique in France!"

What about psychiatry ?

Henri Célié sees in the bar set on the course of financial savings “the consequences of the report of the Court of Auditors. And, in the South Aveyron medical project, they excluded psychiatry." Jean-Dominique Gonzalez, head doctor of the Millau psychiatry center, explains that, "Until now the evolution of medicine was to bring together very qualified specialties in distant technical centers. But psychiatry requires proximity because most of our heavy patients do not even have means of transport. So the idea of ​​repatriating psychiatry to Rodez would put them 70km away, a leap back 40 years!" A proximity that is also important for geriatrics for example.

"We should have a debate during the legislative elections."

Jean-Dominique Gonzalez, former left-wing departmental and municipal elected official (in Millau), brings back the idea"participation of the population in thinking about the hospital of the future. What do people expect for health in South Aveyron ? We won't do neurosurgery in Millau but there are possibilities for proper treatment nearby. The hospital must participate in land use planning. "

Also read: The inter-union of the Millau and Saint-Affrique hospitals received at the headquarters of the regional health agency

Henri Céliè agrees. "During the 2020 municipal elections the idea of ​​a citizen consultation was brought to Millau. But, today, when all the conditions which allowed doctors and elected officials to validate the project are being destroyed… It is absolutely necessary for those who signed to be respected. Today there is not even a road development plan to access the future hospital site of Saint-Georges de Luzançon! What would be the access times? Because we must not forget that these access times are not comfortable but contribute to a loss of opportunity when we are too far away.&quot ; And to conclude: "We should have this debate during the legislative election campaign."

(*) the delegation was made up of representatives of the staff of the Millau and Saint-Affrique hospitals Corinne Mora (CGT), Julien Fratnich (CFDT), Julie Carrère (SUD), doctors Alain Cardinal and Roch Desnoyes and Henri Celie.