The emergency services of the Neuchâtel Hospital Network (RHNe) are overloaded, in particular due to the flu epidemic, the spread of respiratory viruses and an increase in trauma cases. In order to avoid further aggravating the situation, the RHNe is making it compulsory from January 8 to wear a mask in treatment areas.
This massive influx of people requiring hospitalization leads to a saturation of the system in beds, with more than 430 patients hospitalized on the various sites of the institution, compared to 340 to 360 in a normal situation. In this context of very high numbers, the RHNe emergency department at the La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel sites gives priority to receiving serious cases. As a result, patients suffering from benign pathologies must wait longer before being treated.
Faced with this situation, the cantonal health authorities are asking the population to turn to other solutions in the event of non-vital situations, they announced on January 8.
Several options are possible:
• Contact your GP, the first point of contact for any health situation, even outside consultation hours. The Neuchâtel map allows you to find a doctor accepting new patients.
• Telephone center for doctors on call: tel 0848 134 134
• Pediatric emergencies: tel 0848 134 134
• Cadolles Medical Center, Neuchâtel
• Polyclinic of the Hospital of La Providence, Neuchâtel
• Medbase Neuchâtel La Côte Center, Corcelles
• RHNe Policlinic of Val-de-Travers, Couvet
• Volta, Fleurier and La Chaux-de-Fonds office hours
• Policlinic of Clinique Montbrillant, La Chaux-de-Fonds
• Pharmacies: during their opening hours, pharmacies can give advice. Outside these hours, call 0848 134 134 for information on the pharmacy on duty.
The Health Authorities point out that the medical and healthcare teams at the RHNe emergency centers are fully mobilized to respond to vital emergencies. Patients wishing to go there can consult their attendance via the RHNe website.
As a reminder, RHNe emergency staff apply a graduated sorting system which allows the seriousness of situations to be quickly determined in order to ensure that the most urgent cases are treated as a priority. Patients are thus classified on a scale of 1 to 4, ranging from extreme emergency to less pressing situation.
