Shortage of caregivers: Castex recognizes a “worrying situation” in the midst of an epidemic recovery – LCI

“You have to see reality in the face, there are tensions in the care services”. At the Montpellier University Hospital this Friday to continue his tour of France, detailing in the regions the investments in hospitals and nursing homes promised in a global envelope of 19 billion euros negotiated during the Ségur de la Santé, Jean Castex mentioned a “difficult situation from the point of view of human resources” in full epidemic recovery linked in particular to a turnover which “accelerated”.

He explained this about the significant tensions recorded in many French public hospitals, some emergencies having in particular been forced to close their doors at night for lack of staff.

Caregivers “are still there, admirable, but tired by four successive epidemic waves which highlighted their magnificent know-how, but which also left traces on the morale of the troops, on the level of absenteeism”, thus detailed the Prime Minister, specifying that“there were also some resignations”, what “explains the worrying situation in which we find ourselves”.

“We understand that we are also at the crossroads of the news of the last 18 months which is starting to have a strong impact on all our staff, and problems that come from much further away”, he continued, believing that “we must do everything to restore its attractiveness and continuity.”

“I wished that 15,000 hospital positions could be recreated, but they still have to be filled”, thus launched the head of government, explaining that “The closed beds come from the fact that we cannot find staff, but in no case of budgetary means.” And to insist: “It is the staff that is lacking.” Now, for “prepare for the weeks and months to come” and “manage all these resources as optimally as possible to avoid difficulties”, it is necessary that “do everything possible to bring back the maximum of our fellow citizens in training, or our professionals in town or at the hospital”, explained Jean Castex.

The head of government recalled that the executive had raised the numerus clausus to allow, “over the next five years”, to have 10,000 more doctors. “But “these doctors, we need time to train them”, and “a few more years will pass” before solving this shortage. In the meantime, we must salute “all the initiatives taken to keep up with the shock,” he added.

Ditto for the paramedical professions, Jean Castex having recalled that his government had increased “by 12,500, or 10% increase”, the number of training places for nurses and nursing assistants.

The state will support the Montpellier University Hospital to the tune of 250 million euros, including 20 million in debt assumptions, the Prime Minister said on Friday. “In Occitania, we will invest 1.6 billion euros in this sector over 10 years”, that is “1.4 billion to build the health establishments of tomorrow, and 200 million to build the nursing homes of tomorrow”, also announced Jean Castex in the presence of the president (PS) of the region Carole Delga.