“Faced with unprecedented levels of hospitalization for 10 years”, François Braun, the Minister of Solidarity and Health, announced on Wednesday that he had activated the “ORSAN” plan. In question, the strong progression of the epidemic of bronchiolitis, which affects the whole of the territory.
According to the latest report from Public Health France, all the Regions of metropolitan France are in the “epidemic” phase, the highest level of alert. The situation is particularly worrying in the northern half and in hospitals in Île-de-France.
Last week, hospitalizations for bronchiolitis represented “50% of hospitalizations following a visit to the emergency room in children under two years old”, specifies the public establishment, against “40% during the peaks of previous seasons”.
The ORSAN plan (Organization of the Response of the health system in exceptional health situations) “specific to this epidemic, to further strengthen the means of the ARS (Regional Health Agencies)” was therefore launched on Wednesday. The white plans are organized locally by following the latter’s recommendations. Back on the devices and measures that this generates.
- Staff mobilization
“Optimizing patient care in the event of serious and/or unusual events” is one of the major objectives of this system, indicates the government. After setting up a crisis unit, healthcare establishments are therefore able to call in additional staff, in addition to those already in place.
The Samu and emergency teams coordinate accordingly with the hospital services, in order to ensure the proper care of patients. Finally, “reception and listening to relatives” of patients are organised.
- Postponement of operations, increase in the number of beds… Medical activity is adapting
If current activities are maintained as much as possible, the deterioration of the situation may lead to the postponement of certain non-urgent interventions. This is the case for certain consultations or surgical operations.
Also, the reception is reorganized in order to ensure the best possible care of the patients. Patients are then “divided into specific units according to the severity of their pathologies”, indicates the government.
On site, reception capacities can be increased, with the reopening of beds or the addition of additional beds. In Île-de-France, and in Paris in particular, this readjustment of the number of places available to patients promises to be particularly complex. Last September, the AP-HP reported 18% of beds closed and a lack of 1,000 nurses.
- Reinforcement of the means available to caregivers
“Guaranteeing the continuity and quality of care for patients not directly involved in the event, by mobilizing the necessary resources as accurately as possible”, is the other main objective of the system. In this context, an inventory of the health products and equipment of the establishment is carried out. The latter extends from stocks in the pharmacy and laboratories to the arrangements to be made in terms of catering and laundry in particular.
For relatives, the means of communication are reinforced, in particular the telephone reception. Specific circulation axes, inside and outside the structure, for patients and for vehicles, are determined. Finally, the establishment is secured and a containment and evacuation plan for the structure is drawn up.