Fuxean municipal councilor, geriatrician at Chiva, head of the geriatrics department, Dr Lawrence Bories was invited on Tuesday to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Chiva, whether in general medicine, emergencies, specialties or relief .
In front of a full house at the cultural center of Foix, Norbert Meler, the mayor of the county city, underlined how much the subject of health worries people, who need to be informed. Because there are many concerns: delays in appointments in specialties, difficulty in finding a treating doctor, sometimes the obligation to go for treatment in Toulouse in the private sector, overruns in fees, emergencies, etc.
The aging of the population is also a topical issue, with the difficulty of access to care affecting rural areas, as well as that of the care by the hospital of people who have serious acute problems, whereas the shortage of caregivers reigns. A few young doctors have recently moved to Chiva. Still, to attract young talent, it is necessary to give them the means to work properly. The attractiveness of our region, which has the advantage of being close to Toulouse, remains an asset.
A hospital of an already old design
As Dr Bories pointed out, the design of the Chiva dates back to the early 1990s and since then medicine has changed a lot, making work tools obsolete in general medicine and imposing essential investments, whether in buildings or equipment. . Typical example, the scanners: that of the Chiva runs at 170%, generating waiting times for appointments of up to 6 or 7 months for certain examinations such as a colonoscopy, and causing people to go to Toulouse in the private sector.
The Chiva is also a hub hospital which supports the establishments of Saint-Girons and Lavelanet. If it becomes fragile, these may be affected. To take care of most pathologies, it must offer a significant capacity to offer care, even though the private sector offers shorter lead times, contributing to undermining the public hospital system. However, it is the public service that keeps its doors open 24 hours a day with the capacity to take charge of each problem.
The strength of the local
“We are carrying out a mission that the private sector does not fulfill, so we have to keep the balance and maintain a strong hospital. For that, we need support”. As a decision-maker, the ARS will have to make the right decisions. However, the Chiva is not equipped correctly, “and this is a threat to the health of all Ariège residents”.
The 15, finally, has a capital role. In Ariège, the regulation is done jointly with the Samu and the firefighters, ensuring the effectiveness of the emergency services. But here again, the risk of relocation to Toulouse exists, with a loss of attractiveness for emergency doctors whose role is crucial.
The strong point of the Ariège health system ultimately comes from local dynamics, of which Tarascon and Fossat are examples. All health professionals work together, and this local dynamic would be the key to success and the assurance of being attractive. “This is how young doctors want to work, concluded Dr. Bories. Elected officials would have to carry out projects according to this model, which could be done at the level of the agglomerations or the department”.