Covid-19: hospitals in Nice and Monaco once again join forces to fight the pandemic

Faced with the worrying situation in the Alpes-Maritimes department, the University Hospital in Nice (CHU) and the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco (CHPG) agreed, on Tuesday 8 April, to work together to treat patients infected with Covid-19.

As pressure on the healthcare services increases, further support is being rallied. As the incidence rate continues to remain high in the Alpes-Maritimes department (above 400) and Monaco has some beds available in intensive care, the CHPG and CHU are uniting in order to alleviate the strain on resources. Now, patients from Nice and its neighbouring departments in the West can be transferred to the Princess Grace Hospital for treatment.

It was officially decided that the two hospitals would join forces like this when Charles Guépratte, director general of the CHU in Nice, visited the CHPG. During his time in Monaco he was able to visit the hospital and meet Benoîte de Sevelinges, director of the CHPG, as well as Professor Isabell Rouquette, head of intensive care.

A partnership dating back to pre-Covid times

Before the pandemic hit, the two hospitals were already working together. As such, according to a report, the CHU in Nice did not think twice about  “providing the Great East with masks and PPE, sending medical teams over and allowing patients from the CHPG to use their non-Covid related facilities, such as referrals to hematology-oncology.” The CHPG also did their bit to help in return by caring for patients from Nice and lending a hand to people in the valleys.

In terms of intensive care beds, the CHPG has 12 available to use and the CHU in Nice has 38. This makes up 45% of all ICU beds available in Monaco and France combined.

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