12/12/2023
Today's Topic - Medical Emergencies during the Christmas holidays – Who to call
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The holiday season may well be the time for cheer and joy but can also be a time when medical emergencies occur.
“In France, doctors’ surgeries and pharmacies are closed on the public holidays of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, with some practices taking a few days off. On the other hand, statistics show that it’s during these holidays that we need medical help the most, with issues like food or alcohol poisoning, falls, flu and heart attacks topping the charts.
Who to call if you’re feeling ill:
On-call doctors are available to help you at Christmas, New Year’s (and all other public holidays), during the week from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and at weekends.
The consultation will be more expensive out of hours but you will still be reimbursed through CPAM or MSA to around 70% of the fee.
• If you have nothing short of an emergency call 15. This number is reserved for lifethreatening health emergencies. A doctor or an ambulance will be arranged. You must be able to speak French
• If you don’t speak French and wish to call yourself: call 112, which is the European
emergency line for health, fire or police. You will be given advice in English by a doctor or the service can arrange for an ambulance to be sent
• For non-emergencies that require a doctor, you can call the national health helpline on 116 117. These French-only volunteer GPs can help you find a doctor or dentist or arrange a home-visit from the doctor on call
• You can find telephone numbers (French-speaking only) for local on-call medical centres by Googling maison médicale de garde followed by your town, city, or department name. You call for an appointment generally and then drop in.
• SOS Médecin is a private home emergency medical service, available 24/7 days a week, 24 hours a day. You can talk with a French-speaking doctor and arrange a home visit, or for a prescription to be left with the out of hours pharmacy. From a landline, dial 3624 (0.15 cts/minute).
• www.qare.fr is for non-emergency online consultations if you want to see a French-only speaking doctor without travelling, open 7 days a week from 6am to 12am, although bear in mind, the number of doctors working over Christmas will be greatly reduced. The consultations are reimbursed in the same way as your usual medical visits. Obviously, these numbers, except the English speaking European emergency line (112) will require you to speak enough French to correctly treat your emergency.
Remember I offer a remunerated interpretation service for the English-speaking community and am available at on-call rates over the Christmas and New Year festivities, should you have an emergency. For more information on this and other medical interpretation services, don’t hesitate
to call on 062143887 and follow us, Medical Care Interpreter on Facebook to keep up to date on French healthcare advice. (Siret : 532290681)
Responding to reluctance
Ever feel slightly put out that your loved ones aren’t quite as excited as you to ‘spend Christmas with the family’? It can be disappointing but read on to find out how to respond to reticence and retain your Christmas cheer.
A relative who is ill or dependent may be reluctant to spend Christmas or New Year's Eve with family, for whatever reason, be it sickness, fatigue, mental illness including depression or simply being overwhelmed.
End of year festivities often mean lavish meals and many seniors dread overeating! For others, it's the stress of getting ready: travelling, shopping, wrapping presents, eating, cleaning, decorating, tidying up... plus the pressure to ‘have a good time at all costs’. When you're not in good health, this upheaval can be particularly gruelling and difficult to cope with. What's more, the fear of contracting or transmitting Covid can be a legitimate fear for many vulnerable people.
When a loved one expresses a reticence to spend the festive season with family, it's important to understand the situation so that you can suggest appropriate solutions: make do with a Christmas tea, offer to come to their home for a quick present exchange, spend the evening by videoconference, etc.
In all cases, don’t force the issue: if your loved one feels that their health does not allow it, let them spend the festive season as they wish. But don't hesitate to send a card or make a phone call to show that they are in your thoughts!