AFP, published on Tuesday April 14, 2020 at 10:19 am
Practitioner in a hospital in the Paris region, on the front line to treat the surge of coronavirus patients, an anesthesiologist-resuscitator delivers daily for AFP, on condition of anonymity, the summary of his day in the middle of a health crisis.
– Monday April 13 –
“I think tonight that the real challenge and the real difficulties are just beginning.
For a month, all the nursing staff, hospital or not, reorganized their professional life to participate in the care of patients affected by this virus.
The lack of paramedical staff, the absence of dialogue with our management on a daily basis, the lack of recognition for some, the financial difficulties for others, the worries facing a public hospital system that is dying out – said- we still a few weeks ago when we protested outside the Ministry of Health and many heads of departments resigned – everything was swept away in the space of a few days, even a few hours.
This capacity for self-denial was probably necessary to allow us to move forward together, listening to our superiors, to our management. And to treat those who had and still need it in the best conditions, or sometimes the least bad possible.
These few weeks were made possible by the excitement created at the hospital.
By this sudden highlight of the public hospital and resuscitation, a profession often overlooked by the general public, by a certain desire to participate in something historic, and by a dose of uncertainty and stress leaving us constantly be on the look-out.
The resuscitation services and the people who work there have been at the center of all concerns, perhaps even more, at times, than the patients themselves.
The motivations have certainly been diverse.
If some just wanted to do their job as usual, others may have felt they were participating in a major humanitarian mission.
No matter, honestly, I believe there was nothing unhealthy about it. We had no choice and most of all we wanted to do it.
People came unconditionally and are still there. I do not know if the health war will be, but it is likely that the resuscitation war is about to be won, to use the words of our President.
Resuscitation services are less under pressure. The Covid units are starting to be dismantled in the hospital where I work, temporarily or permanently, we will see.
Now is the time to draw on our resources.
Agree to continue for several more weeks when the staff are exhausted. Agree to continue operating these Covid units while many others resume their normal medical activities.
Agree to continue this mission when the hospital will no longer be at the center of concerns and the media will talk about economics, education, politics. Accept that the applause stops. We will, I am sure.
But this phase undoubtedly risks being even more difficult.
Unfortunately, the fight against the Covid and the sacred union that we have known in the hospital for a few weeks, is already giving way to the same dysfunctions, the same conflicts and the same daily fights that were put aside there are to barely a month.
This “war” may be less palpable, but just as real and essential for the fight against this epidemic and the health of our patients. “
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