Representatives of parties and organizations committed against the single hospital project gathered with citizens in front of the prefecture on Monday to discuss the project while the first steering committee took place in the prefecture.
While the first steering committee dedicated to the Lanne hospital project was held behind closed doors in the prefecture, a “counter-committee” took place in the square of the prefecture to discuss between citizens and representatives of parties and collectives engaged against the project. The objective of this consultation was to express their opposition to Lanne hospital. This “counter-COPIL” dismantles its arguments point by point and puts forward alternatives and solutions for the hospitals of Tarbes and Lourdes. The parties intend to join forces to oppose this hospital, as was the case for the mega sawmill of Lannemezan and thus achieve the same outcome: the abandonment of the project.
According to Roland Cazeneuve, member of the PCF65, “this is a major political issue. For years, a series of political decisions have been made and are destroying public services. Opponents use the example of a similar case in Deux-Sèvres where the hospital, resulting from the merger of several others, saw its deficit increase to several million euros. For them, investing in a new hospital is a financial waste.
Citizens must participate in exchanges
In the context of the Lanne hospital, the opposition believes that the population is not listened to. A petition against the Lanne single hospital has collected around 18,000 signatures. A proof for the parties that the citizens are opposed to the project. They ask for a public debate because this change concerns above all patients. A hospital in Lanne would add travel time for residents of the east of the department and the valleys of the Pyrenees. Opponents want to defend the elderly in Tarbes and Lourdes for whom it would be even more complicated to access care. They also add that the transport time for vital emergencies could be extended, which would present a health risk.
“We need immediate answers”
The single hospital would intervene too late, with a commissioning in 2029, to deal with the current problems of the health system. For Roland Cazeneuve, “Hospital staff cannot wait that long. Immediate answers are needed so that the staff can do their job properly. “Some renovations have been made in Tarbes and Lourdes hospitals and the opposition demands that they continue.
Ecological balance
The hospital project raises concerns about other aspects, particularly ecological ones. The protesters denounce the grip of 17 hectares of agricultural land. In addition to the artificialization of the ground for the construction of the hospital and the roads, this new establishment involves a greater movement of vehicles coming from further away and replacing the use of public transport in the towns of Tarbes and Lourdes.