(Updated with invitation from the CEO of Orpea)
PARIS, January 25 (Reuters) – The government has summoned the director general of Orpea France “as soon as possible”.
ORP.PA to shed light on the “serious facts” mentioned in the investigative book “Les Fossoyeurs”, which accuses the group of negligence and restrictions imposed on the residents of its establishments.
The announcement was made Tuesday evening via Twitter by the Minister Delegate for Autonomy, Brigitte Bourguignon, who specified that this summons resulted from a request from the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran.
Earlier in the day, the managing director of Orpea France again challenged the accusations of negligence, assuring that the group’s care facilities for the elderly had “never” been subject to the slightest rationing or fewer restrictions in the care of residents.
“There is no organized system, as it is described, absolutely none,” Jean-Christophe Romersi told BFM TV, noting that Orpea did not yet know the contents of the book “Les Fossoyeurs”, whose extracts were published Monday by the newspaper Le Monde.
“We are not free from an error, from something that did not work”, but “it does not correspond to any directive”, he added.
Olivier Véran had previously announced to the National Assembly that the government had seized Orpea following “serious allegations” in the book, which accuses the group of preferring profitability to the well-being of the elderly.
“I will see if it is necessary to initiate an investigation by the General Inspectorate on the whole group to check the procedures in force and what are the conditions under which they take charge”, added the minister during the meeting. current affairs session. nL8N2U54WZ
In the book, published by Fayard, testimonies and documents mention in particular rationing of food and hygiene products to the detriment of the elderly cared for in the structures of Orpea, which manages nearly 1,200 establishments in Europe and America. Latin.
Following the publication by Le Monde on Monday of the good sheets of the book by journalist Victor Castanet, Orpea had suspended its listing. The action suffered on Tuesday at the Paris Stock Exchange, falling 28.88% on recovery.
(Report Sophie Louet and Jean Terzian, edited by Nicolas Delame)
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