Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges, Director of Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG), said this week that the hospital had proven itself during the coronavirus pandemic to be “a responsive, efficient establishment, endowed with technological and above all human capacities.”
Now that the pandemic has receded, CHPG has been addressing the problem of a shortage of personnel, she said; “During these almost three years, the Principality has been able to count on a solid hospital, whose agility has been decisive in maintaining economic and social activities.”
On one hand, salaries have been increased to make working at CHPG more attractive while doctors can now choose to retire at age 60 and nurses between 55 and 60.
Recently, Minister of Health and Social Affairs Jean-Christophe Robino said that some departments at the hospital were introducing a four-day week, to help address issues such as commuting and parking.
The hospital has set up a number of specialist units: A prostate hub, a pelvic hub and a thyroid hub. The same model will also be deployed in 2023 on complex pathologies: endometriosis, transient ischemic attacks – a precursor to strokes, for which the hospital does not have a specialised unit – and spinal disorders.
Over the past three years, generous donors and the Prince’s government have enabled the CHPG to invest 20 million euros in biomedical equipment. These include the renewal of a surgical robot and the acquisition of a second, an interventional cardiology platform combining the advantages of 3D and magnetisation, and the acquisition of a HI-FU for the treatment of fibroids, Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges said.
Thanks to a generous donor and its 1.8 million euros in 2022, the adult and pediatric emergency services will be grouped together in the spring in more functional premises.
In his speech, HSH Prince Albert praised the dedication and professionalism of hospital staff during the health crisis. “During the long weeks of confinement, we applauded you every evening at 20:00 and perhaps you feared that you would then be forgotten, put in the background. This is obviously not the case,” he said, adding that health remains a major pillar of the Principality’s attractiveness.
“It is essential for our hospital and our retirement homes to have the [financial and technological] means to meet the challenges that are imposed on them in an ever-changing sector. In this respect, renovating and extending a hospital in operation constitutes a real feat and poses, I am aware, many difficulties both for the staff and for the patients and families.” The Sovereign added that faced with cyberattacks targeting health establishments, there is a need “to invest in information systems capable [of] resisting”.
Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges. Director of Princess Grace Hospital Monaco Government Press Office
