The Health Minister Marisol Touraine said on Wednesday morning during a press conference on influenza that the balance sheet of the epidemic would “probably be heavy.” She called on hospitals to postpone elective operations to free up beds for the patients affected by the virus.
The Health Minister, Marisol Touraine, warned that the balance sheet of the flu outbreak would “probably be heavy”, calling to postpone non-urgent operations to decongest hospitals.
According to Marisol Touraine, 142 hospitals of 850 in France have told the authorities of “significant findings of tension” because of the spread of the virus especially virulent this year.
“The challenge is to ensure that there are hospital beds available” , said the Minister on Wednesday at a point of the situation. “The balance sheet of the epidemic will probably be heavy, as the number of sick people is particularly important, but the health system meets the present” , she added. For over 65 years, it’s one in two patients who present to the emergency that requires hospitalization.
The peak of the epidemic expected next week
Patients whose operations have been delayed will be referred to other institutions or treated later, she said. Her ministry also urges hospitals to open beds and remind the staff.
The public health agency said Wednesday that “the peak of the epidemic should be reached next week”.
The Health Monitoring Institute (InVS) recorded during a previous severe outbreak during the winter 2014-2015 the number of deaths in France was in excess of 18 300 deaths, affecting mostly patients aged 65 and over
