Absent doctors, “regulated” emergencies: “exhausted” by a sharp increase in activity, the Medical Regulation Assistants (ARM), the first to answer calls to Samu, are on strike in 69 of the 100 departmental “centers 15”. They are calling for wage increases and hiring, according to their national association Afarm.
Visiting the Toulouse Samu on Monday, Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau declared that “some” of their demands were “legitimate” and that he intended to “work on them in the coming weeks.”
This indefinite strike, which began on July 3, makes little noise because the ARMs on strike are, like many caregivers, “generally assigned by the administration, and therefore to their position”, without loss of salary, he explained to AFP. Yann Rouet, co-president of Afarm (French association of medical regulatory assistants).
Therefore, the strike “has no impact on the quality of the response of the French”, he specifies.
The ARM’s mission is to direct, as of the 15th, certain patients towards medical care in the city, when their state of health does not justify the use of emergencies
The oversold 15
While in the height of summer, many hospitals have to restrict access to emergencies due to a lack of caregivers, and many general practitioners are absent, the authorities recommend “calling 15” as a first resort.
For the ARMs, “this necessarily generates additional activity”, of the order “of 30%, like last summer”, particularly in tourist areas, details Yann Rouet.
“In the field it is complicated, we have the same time to manage a call”, “not always a solution to take” to those who call. The agents are “tired, exhausted, some clearly exhausted”, continues this ARM from Côtes-d’Armor.
“We are asking for recognition of the current hardships” or a monthly bonus of 100 euros, and details of the new networks are promised, adds the Afarm co-chairman.
The association is also asking for recruitment, according to her, it lacks “about 800 ARM” in France to meet the needs, not to mention that the government intends to generalize the Care Access Service (SAS) by the end of the year.
“The kneecap of our system”
“ARMs are the heart, they are the kneecap of our regulatory system. They have a particular function that, in a few years, has grown considerably, which has grown even more since last year and the fact that we strongly encourage the French to pass for 15”, declared Aurélien Rousseau for his part in Toulouse.
“I consider some of these claims to be legitimate and we will work on it in the coming weeks,” he added, without specifying which claims he was referring to or commenting on Afarm’s request to contract an additional 800 ARMs.
The minister also stressed the “quality” of the work of these agents.
“We must recognize this quality at its true value,” he declared in particular to the Afarm delegate in Toulouse, Lilian Gelbart Carrasco.
Every year, the Samu receives a total of about 30 million calls. According to the Court of Auditors, this figure increased by 22% between 2014 and 2021.
Source: BFM TV
