General strike against the vaccination obligation in Guadeloupe: "the sick have the right to be treated", reacts the deputy director general of the CHU of Pointe-à-Pitre

"The patients did not ask for anything" and they "have the right to seek treatment", declares Cédric Zolezzi, deputy director general of the Pointe-à-Pitre / Abymes University Hospital in Guadeloupe, guest of franceinfo Wednesday November 17, while the unlimited general strike against the obligation to vaccinate caregivers and against the health pass in Guadeloupe is entering its 3rd day.

At the Pointe-à-Pitre/Abymes University Hospital, the manager notes that the movement has so far had little impact on the activity of his hospital. In his establishment, he deplores 12% of non-vaccinated staff, and therefore suspended according to the law of August 5 on the obligation to vaccinate caregivers. “We had to reorganize with a business continuity plan, we cannot do exactly the same thing with or without 12% of the staff, even if not all of them are caregivers”, explains Cédric Zolezzi. “We had to find degraded modes to prepare meals, to make sure that the laundry still works and then to review the capacity a little at the medical and surgical level.

Filtering at the entrance to the hospital by certain unions

This general strike is not without tension. The deputy director general of the CHU describes the mountain of used tires in front of the hospital, but also the filtering operated by certain unions at the entrance to the buildings. Students from paramedical schools were also forced to be evacuated while being assessed. "All that, we regret it, but we remain really focused on our mission. The patients did not ask for anything. They have the right to be treated. They are there for that", recalls Cédric Zolezzi. Despite the mobilization, the number 2 of the CHU wants to continue the pedagogy concerning the need for vaccination, even if "there are people who are not so attentive to a rational discourse and who still need a little time."

For the time being, the Hospital Center has not needed to request staff reinforcements, although "we fear a fifth wave". Cédric Zolezzi notes the difficulty that Guadeloupe could encounter due to its geographical location, "we are an island territory, far from possible reinforcements. We would therefore like to prevent the situation of the fourth wave from occurring again." Cédric Zolezzi indicates that the number of patients linked to Covid-19 currently hospitalized in his establishment has dropped significantly after three weeks under tension during the previous epidemic wave, but that we must remain vigilant. "We live a little day to day", specifies the n ° 2 of the CHU of Guadeloupe.

The president of the Guadeloupe region indicated on Tuesday November 16 on franceinfo, that the government has "left behind" the archipelago in this health crisis. Words that the deputy director general of the CHU of Pointe-à-Pitre / Abymes does not wish to comment directly. He recalls, however, that for his hospital, "when we needed it at the level of the fourth wave, we had massive reinforcements which were decisive, we really had the feeling, and more than the feeling, of being helped. both by the firefighters, the RSMA, and the French reinforcements."

The Deputy Director General of the Pointe-à-Pitre/Abymes University Hospital also recalls that the State is funding a future University Hospital to the tune of 600 million euros, which will open its doors by 2023. "We need to reorganize our services to enter new new walls with new teams and new, even more efficient ways of working. And all of this requires preparation and requires work. However, we are going from crisis to crisis. Time passes and we need to organize ourselves and work in this meaning on the content", insists Cédric Zolezzi.