January 18, 2019.
A little over a year after the death of Naomie Musenga, not rescued by the Samu in Strasbourg, the Minister of Health wants to put in place a series of reforms to improve the emergency system in France.
Did Naomie Musenga die due to the negligence of a Samu operator?
It has been a year since Naomie Musenga, this 22-year-old young woman, died in utter distress. His call to Samu Strasbourg was mocked by the operator, no help was sent to her and she died a few hours later at home. Since his parents are fighting to find out what really happened.
We now know that their daughter, who complained of excruciating pain in her stomach, died of paracetamol poisoning. The regulatory assistant is still suspended, the head of Samu Bas-Rhin has resigned and it is the turn of the Minister of Health to seize the file to explore the problem more in depth : the telephone emergency system must be reformed.
What reforms for telephone emergencies?
In France, three numbers can be dialed to reach an emergency service: 17 (police), 18 (fire brigade) or 15 (SAMU). So that calls are better handled, better sorted, harmonized and better distributed between the emergency services, the Minister, Agnès Buzyn, wants all calls to arrive at the same number, 112.
It is also considering sending text messages for those who cannot speak or video calls to show the operator a wound. The geolocation of the victim is also an avenue that would allow the sercours to save time. But the most absolute urgency is to recruit more telephone operators for medical regulation and to train them more.
Maylis Choné
Read also: Emergencies