Yes, as many media reports this Saturday, March 21, a patient load-shedding center is well, on paper for the time being, prepared by the city of Limoges, the State and the public and associative partners necessary for its operation. .
This fact established, in view of the logical tension which animates us all and all these last days, some clarifications are essential:
What is the likely problem to come?
All the scientific information shows it, and the health authorities as the government hammer it: we are still only at the beginning of this epidemic, unfortunately.
Recent health crises (heat wave of 2003, influenza epidemic 2011 in particular) we learned that to anticipate, it is to protect and to act better the day when …
It is thus possible that at some point in this phase 3 of the epidemic, the number of people who contact the center 15 / Samu or the general practitioners, for any medical reason or a suspicion of symptoms Covid-19 causes an overload.
What is this load shedding device?
Thus, faced with the epidemic of this Covid-19 coronavirus, at the request of the State and health authorities, several large cities in France are preparing for the possibility of opening a load shedding center for local patients .
Émile Roger Lombertie, mayor of Limoges and also a former doctor (psychiatrist), explains the purpose of such a center, if it were to be opened:
“The goal is to have a place of reception respecting medical confidentiality and the necessary sanitary measures to confirm or not a diagnosis of Covid-19, or to treat other medical problems. We must also avoid that people who do not have an answer to their medical question, for example because they do not have a doctor to turn to, also have a place to go. A place that is not a hospital or a clinic. The members of the Health Reserve will be mobilized for the activity of this local load-shedding center. “
Its opening “will be triggered by the Samu and the Regional Health Agency, if indeed they are faced with an overloading of the 15 / Samu center and city medicine, reason why, everywhere, the order of doctors has been associated with the reflection on this device ”
As for the precise figures on the number of staff present in the center, any estimate is for the time being fanciful, because directly related to the number of people who would be referred there, and its evolution over time.
No it’s not secret … but discreet
The mayor of Limoges ticks on the word “secret” on this device which has not, in fact, been brought to the attention of the population. “No, it’s not secret because to prepare this, the cities, the State, the ARS, general practitioners, hospitals, clinics, emergency services, the Samu, the health reserve communicate and coordinate . Discreet for the moment yes, because quite simply the center is not yet open. All necessary information will be given to patients who will be sent there by the 15th or the general practitioners. “
Julien Bigay
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