French president urges to rethink schedules of work at hospitals

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – French President Emmanuel Macron urged on Friday to rethink the organization of working time at hospitals, addressing healthcare workers in the Essonne region of central France.

Macron announced a roadmap to reorganize the health system in France, including new recruitments, acknowledging the lack of measures the executive power has taken since 2018, despite the investments made so far.

"We have invested €19 billion ($19.9 billion) in our healthcare system. In three years, our health budget rose by €50 billion," the president explained.

He deplored the risk that the French healthcare system might deteriorate in the future.

"Medical doctors are not being formed in one or two years," he said, and added: "We need a decade to achieve deep change."

Macron recalled that almost half of the doctors in France are over 60 years old.

The president also acknowledged the hyper-rigidity of 35 hours of work principle and urged to rethink schedules of work at hospitals. He said the current system would be revamped by June.

Macron also expressed his wish to increase the number of medical assistants – currently around 4,000 – to 10,000 by the end of 2024.

He added that 6 million French people do not have access to an attending physician.

"We will pay better doctors who ensure the continuity of treatments and take up new patients," Macron noted.

The country has been suffering from a "triple epidemic" of the coronavirus, flu, and bronchiolitis. The number of patients has increased in emergency departments, causing long waiting times.

General practitioners, considered the second pillar of the French healthcare system, have been on strike since Dec. 26, asking for better working conditions and fee raises.

Doctors condemn the lethargy of the health system, criticizing a shortage of healthcare workers and other serious scarcities.

One medical intern commits suicide every week in France and "150 people died in December in emergency units because they did not have the time to receive treatment," doctors' groups said Thursday.