Covid-19: in Toulouse, the administrative court suspends a decision of the ARS Occitanie

Between 27 March and 27 July 2020, the Parc medical center in Toulouse operated with two scanners. An exceptional four-month authorization was granted by the Regional Health Agency (ARS Occitanie) to use a second scanner reserved for Covid patients or suspected Covid patients.

The site was ready, the machine just had to go back to the manufacturer who was about to resell it as the medical center did not have authorization for a second scanner. The Park imaging company (GIE Scanner IRM du Parc) then organized a four-month trip through its premises, allowing patients to access the examination room directly from the street without passing other people.

250 Covid patients received for chest scans during the first wave

“The strategy was to offer equipment to city medicine, to work better by separating flows for greater patient and staff safety. We thus received 250 people, some of whom were included in a study to assess the interest of the scanner.” thoracic in the fight against Covid-19, “explains Dr. Christian Quesnel, radiologist, president of the imaging company Parc.

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Coronavirus: in Toulouse, the first “push” to perform chest scanners

ARS rejects the second scanner three times: “it’s not our strategy”

Sensing the arrival of a second wave, the radiologists of the Park ask for an extension of the exceptional authorization on 16 June and 24 July. Without success. It starts again on 1 October, a new refusal of the ARS on 21 October while a state of health emergency is declared. “The ARS tells us that our request does not correspond to its strategy. However, Minister Olivier Véran said that everything should be done to replace the hospital with city medicine in the front row. combat equipment is needed and city medicine must be able to rely on biology and imagination. It is incomprehensible to arrive at this: we have the car, the premises, the staff and the arguments the doctors are irrefutable in favor of using the chest scanner to Covid patients. We are not asking to be able to work more but to be able to work better, separating routes for greater safety. We are in a serious health crisis, come out – From above, the time for administrative discussions must come later, “he says. Dr. Christian Quesnel.

On November 9, in a petition to the administrative court of Toulouse, imaging company Parc asked for the ARS decision of October 21 to be quashed. The summary judge went in this direction on November 30 by suspending the administrative decision of the ARS and asking the ARS Occitanie to review the request of the Park imaging company within eight days. Contacted, ARS Occitanie has not yet responded to our request.