The surgical department at the Saint-Jean-d’Angély hospital in Charente-Maritime will maintain its operations, reversing an earlier planned temporary closure that was scheduled to run from August 31 to October 5, according to an announcement made by the direction of the Saintes-Saint-Jean-d’Angély hospital group.
Operational Continuity Secured Through Locum Recruitment
The planned shutdown of the operating block was initially attributed to a shortage of anesthetists. However, according to the hospital group’s management, the successful recruitment of locum professionals has allowed them to secure the medical roster for the upcoming two months. Consequently, scheduled procedures in orthopedic and traumatological surgery, hepato-gastro-enterology, and oral surgery and implantology will continue without interruption at the Saint-Jean-d’Angély site starting Monday.
Union Opposition and Deficit Concerns
Prior to the reversal, the proposed closure drew sharp criticism from labor representatives. The local branch of the CGT union had organized a mobilization, scheduling a protest rally for Monday at 14:00 in the hospital’s main courtyard to contest the suspension of surgical services. Vincent Tranquard, general secretary of the CGT 17 departmental union (USD), expressed concern that the hospital group’s financial deficit—reported at nearly 12 million euros—might drive broader reductions in local healthcare access, noting that residents in the northern part of the department face longer transit times to alternative facilities.
Local Leadership Perspective
Françoise Mesnard, the Socialist mayor of Saint-Jean-d’Angély, sought to reassure residents regarding the facility’s long-term trajectory, stating that surgical activity at the site continues to grow. Hospital management has affirmed that recruitment efforts will persist to build up permanent medical staffing and gradually expand surgical capabilities in the department moving forward.
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