According to the Social Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, citing the Regional Health Agency of Île-de-France, nine hospitals will be “potentially very impacted” by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, during which 15 million visitors are expected.
by Philippe le Coeur
Safety and transport are two of the major challenges to be met for the reception of the Olympic and Paralympic (JOP) games of 2024. But another subject promises to be potentially critical: the capacity of the Ile -de -France hospital system to cope with The influx of spectators and visitors in the middle of summer (the Olympic Games will take place July 26 to August 11), during which hospitals usually know some tensions in terms of staff.
On this point, without being alarmist, the Social Affairs Committee of the National Assembly does not mask both a certain “prudence” as to the discourse and the forecasts of the health authorities and a relative impatience to see In place of the scenarios anticipating the most critical situations.
“All hypotheses must be seriously anticipated and planned so as not to generate, at the last minute, excessive tension on the staff of hospitals in the region”, warns the deputy (Renaissance) Christine Le Nabour in her Report for opinion on the bill “relating to the JOP and carrying various other provisions”, published on Friday March 17. This bill will be examined in public session by deputies from Monday March 20.
stressing that the AP-HP and the Regional Health Agency (ARS) in Île-de-France, which are based on 15 million visitors for games in Paris, anticipate “attendance that does not represent A major evolution compared to a normal summer “, Ms. Le Nabour” recommends remaining prudent “on these” rather reassuring “estimates, and” to anticipate less favorable hypotheses “.
She recalls that even a low scenario, that of an additional load on the care system equivalent to that generated by “a gentle winter”, will result in “a significant tension” in hospitals “because of the period leave and recruitment difficulties that tend to increase “. At this stage, the ARS of Île-de-France considers that “nine hospitals” will be “potentially very impacted” by the games, notes the deputy, who calls for “to anticipate without delay” the possible tensions and the reinforcements which could be necessary.
possible “overtime and the removal of summer holidays”
“The danger of a conjunction between the games and other events with a major health impact – COVVI -19 resurgence, heat wave, attack … – must be seriously envisaged”, advances Nabour, while also attracting the ‘Attention on the effects that the call for volunteers of Paris 2024 could have with healthcare professionals and doctors for the securing of the tests, beyond the creation of a health center within the village of athletes. “This would represent 3,000 volunteers per day at the Pic des Jop, including around 150 emergency physicians in Île-de-France and around 190 others throughout France,” explains the rapporteur of the Social Affairs Committee