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In brief

Prince Albert II inaugurates new emergency department at CHPG

chpg urgences prince albert rybolovlev sevelinges robino
From left to right: Christophe Robino, Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Dmitry Rybolovlev, President of AS Monaco, Prince Albert II, Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges, Director of the CHPG, Caroline Rougaignon Vernin, Vice-President of the Board of Directors - © Mika Alesi/Prince's Palace

From now on, emergency treatment of adults and children will be carried out in one and the same place, improving care for patients and their relatives. The completion of the project was possible thanks to a generous donation by Dmitry Rybolovlev, President of AS Monaco.

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The Sovereign Prince came to Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG) to inaugurate its new emergency department on Tuesday 18th April. Since the start of the month, and after ten months of building work, the adult and paediatric emergency services are now situated together in one unit, on the ground floor of the Princess Charlotte pavilion, to provide improved patient pathway visibility and quality of care.

Present at the inauguration were Caroline Rougaignon Vernin, Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Christophe Robino, Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges, Director of the CHPG, Prof. Yann-Erick Claessens, Head of the Emergency Department and Dr. André Rousset, Deputy Head of the Paediatrics Department (representing Dr. Hervé Haas) as well as Dmitry Rybolovlev, who funded the project in its entirety, for a total amount, according to Monaco Matin, of 1.8 million euros.

The 15,000 children and 30,000 adults admitted to the hospital each year will no longer be separate. They will all be treated in this new 750 m2 unit, which will greatly facilitate the caregivers’ work. “The distance meant that we worked remotely, without consultation. We will be able to pool our skills and, by extension, the children’s care will be improved. It is an opportunity for us to work together with our ‘adult’ colleagues and in more compact, functional, and efficient premises,” Dr André Rousset told Monaco Info.

chpg A&E
The CHPG now has a single emergency department, in renovated premises – © Mika Alesi/Prince’s Palace

Thanks to the merge, triage and patient waiting conditions should be better organised, providing better quality of care and comfort, as well as improved patient confidentiality and privacy. The intake and ICU areas now deal with both adult and paediatric patients that are brought in by the SMUR or the fire service, and common areas for staff enable the professionals to share best practices.

The waiting room has also been extended, redesigned and decorated with cartoon characters, such as Ariel, the Little Mermaid, Nemo and Dory the fish, the ninja Naruto, Stitch the alien, or the Jedi Rey from Star Wars. Two additional rooms have been created for young patients. The aim was to make the intake process more comfortable, and to provide better care for patients and their families, with the introduction of short-circuit cubicles to streamline A&E visits.

“This opportunity means we can look to the future and prepare for moving into the New CHPG in the best possible conditions, while providing a concrete response to the issues encountered to date. It also represents a significant improvement in how we will care for our youngest patients, from birth to adulthood. I would like to sincerely thank Dmitry Rybolovlev, whose generosity will be immediately appreciated by over 30,000 adults and nearly 15,000 children who are treated each year in these care facilities,” commented Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges.

The intention behind the new A&E department is to prepare for how it will function when the new hospital is completed. The new building will house the adult and paediatric emergency services in a single unit, with dedicated care facilities and a multi-skilled medical team, while maintaining the specificities involved in paediatrics.

“Our football club, AS Monaco, has long been engaged in many social and charitable initiatives in the Principality, and in the surrounding region. As Club President, I have always supported this tradition.

In this case, I decided to provide financial support, in a personal capacity, to a project that is of great importance.

Having trained as a doctor, I know how crucial public health questions are. I also understand, as a resident of Monaco, the need for the CHPG to have the most effective emergency service possible. Restructuring the department has made it more functional for patients – children and adults – but also for the medical staff.

I would like to thank His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, as well as the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace and its director, Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges, for allowing me to help complete this project, which is so important for Monaco,” said Dmitry Rybolovlev.