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Underequipped French Nurses Roast Macron at Paris Hospital

Underequipped French Nurses Roast Macron at Paris Hospital
folder_openEurope... access_time3 years ago
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By Staff, Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron took heat from staff at a leading Paris hospital that hammered him with grievances about low pay and faulty gear, forcing him into admitting some past mistakes.

Macron was met with an angry reception when he came to visit the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris this Friday. Talking to the healthcare staff, he told them not to let “good energy fall and despair set in,” but the morale-raising jibe didn’t play well with some of the nurses listening.

“Unfortunately, it’s already there, Mr. Macron! Even before Covid-19, we were already desperate,” one nurse furiously retorted, adding, “It’s been years, Mr. Macron!”

Pitie-Salpetriere is one of the leading Paris institutions treating coronavirus patients, but it seems that, as elsewhere across France, its staff are apparently suffering from an appalling shortage of personal protection gear.

No doubt anticipating the angry reception, and fearing it could damage Macron’s image, the president’s office didn’t allow any media to officially film or photograph the meeting, according to AP.

However, the altercation was caught on a smartphone camera and widely shared online.

“I’ve worked as a nurse for six years. We have no equipment. We have nothing!” a nurse exclaimed in the footage. “Why am I currently working with a mask that expired in 2001? Just why?” she asked.

The president reminded the staff that he had previously pledged a salary raise and financial bonuses for those battling the coronavirus, only to face another nurse who had some strong words about their grievance.

“The bonus is nice – we’ll take it anyway,” she commented, but France is still “one of the countries where nurses are the most poorly paid anyway.” Driving home her point, she continued, “And with each promise, you add conditions.”

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