Sad news. Friday October 6, 2023, our colleagues from the newspaper Point announced a new death at Remiremont hospital, located in the Vosges, already known for similar facts. A retiree, who came to have surgery for a fracture following a fall, finally died on Tuesday October 3, 2023. His death would be linked to an error in care at the end of the operation. According to the daily Vosges Morning, the patient, who would have had complications, had been transferred to a medical department after leaving the operating room, and not to the intensive care unit. Faced with this tragedy, the hospital management announced that it was suspending all operations: “Following the unexpected death of a patient at the Hospital Center in surgery, and due to the general context in particular regarding complaints, it was decided, as a precautionary measure, to suspend all surgical activity scheduled”, we could read in a press release.
An investigation to “search for the causes of death” has been opened
According to information from AFP, taken up by West Francethe Epinal prosecutor announced the opening of an investigation to “search for the causes of death”. The Grand Est Regional Health Agency (ARS) has also clarified the procedure followed by the establishment, to our colleagues at AFP. “[Il] immediately informed the ARS of the death which occurred on October 3 and immediately made a serious adverse event declaration according to the regulatory alert procedure”, before adding that “the elements of the medical file are being analyzed by the ARS medical inspectors”. For a year and a half, the hospital center has been the subject of twelve complaints from patients’ families, including seven following deaths considered suspicious by the latter. Following this, the ARS was then seized of the file, and had, “from January 2, 2023, [procédé à] an inspection responsible in particular for examining each identified case”. This new tragedy was therefore a hard blow for the hospital. According to his lawyer, questioned about BFMTV Friday October 6, 2023, management “decided to ask all surgeons to justify that the surgical protocols that are imposed are perfectly respected“. A case which is reminiscent of the death of Lilou, 11 years old, in August 2023, following her back operation, or that of Maxime, 15 years old, victim of a potential medical error.