THE FRENCH STATE URGES MEDICAL TRAINS TO TRANSPORT COVID-19 PATIENTS

USPA NEWS - As the COVID-19, pandemic, evolves dramatically with increasing of patients in need of beds for intensive care, amid overwhelmed hospitals, the French government called on TGV (High Speed “‹“‹Trains), running sanitary to relieve Nancy (Great East the greatest cluster in France) hospital. The setting up of TGV medicalized trains, dates from the inauguration in 1866 in Lourdes of a national station, served by the TGV, which was only adopted in 1859 thanks to the Apparitions. These medical trains transporting patients to Lourdes, destination hope of healing by miracle, dates from 1848 in Italy, precisely. Jean Pierre Bally responsible for the logistics of transporting pilgrims to Lourdes, using this starise guard, since ...We interviewed Jean Pierre Baly, President of the Diocesan Hospitality of Le Havre, who kindly sent us written responses to our questions about the organization of Medicalized trains. Indeed, Jean Pierre Baly, is in charge of the logistics of medicalized TGVs, transporting sick and disabled, to Lourdes, each summer as part of the pilgrimage, has become performing in this sensible care trips, for decades.

We interviewed Jean Pierre Baly, President of the Diocesan Hospitality of Le Havre, who kindly sent us written responses to our questions about the organization of Medicalized trains. Indeed, Jean Pierre Baly, is in charge of the logistics of medicalized TGVs, transporting sick and disabled, yet also healthy elderly to Lourdes, each summer as part of the pilgrimage, has become performing in this sensible care trips, for decades. According to Jean PIerre Baly, who is also the President of the Normand Cadet Association, «  It is the diocese of Meaux, first user of TVG for its pilgrimage, who invented a system which was baptized "Briarde" (Meaux is the capital of Brie). » « In Le Havre for 120 people in need of care and assistance, we therefore have 300 staff in charge of Hospitality, and more particularly 3 to 4 doctors and a dozen Nurses. The distribution is done by train. », as he explained how the need of human resources to escort the patients within medicalized train, under pilgrimage status. Comments collected by such and written, via email, from Jean Pierre Baly, by our reporter from USPA)

ANDDP & THE ORDER OF MALTA PROVIDED SICK KITS FROM THE SNCF TO TRANSPORT THE PATIENTS OF COVID-19 IN FRANCE------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ANDDP (NAPD National Association of Pilgrimage Directors) therefore quickly carried out this inventory in its six storage locations of equipment, Arras, Evry, Le Havre, Lyon, Nantes and Schiltigheim. "These medical, kits belong to the SNCF which makes them available to the thirty or so dioceses which, each year, go by train to Lourdes. Currently, the SNCF is in the process of all recover “, continues Frederic Gaiffe. Indeed these patients are in need, of the medical kits that could be used to enable the evacuation of the patients by TGV COVID-19 patients from Strasbourg and Mulhouse to regions less affected by the epidemic. As for, the Order of Malta which was also asked to recover fifteen patient kits in his possession, offered their services to the coordination cell of the French authorities. "We immediately put our stretcher bearers at their disposal volunteers and our very trained first-aiders to Taskforce added to the logistical support in Paris, and help to load and unload patients on TGV trains “, says Alain de Tonquedec, president of Hospitality of the Order of Malta and former Secretary General of Notre Dame Hospitality in Lourdes. Source: La Croix Journal

MEDICAL FAST TRAINS (TGV) TRAVELING PATIENTS FROM OVERWHELMED HOSPITALS TO AREAS LESS IMPACTED BY COVID-19 The French government called on TGV (High Speed “‹“‹Trains, running sanitary for two weeks to relieve Nancy hospital. After a first medical transport of 20 patients from Strasbourg, the Minister of Health Olivier Veran « is committed to providing the CHU Nancy with a medicalized TGV of this type in the hours and days to come," said Laurent Henart, mayor of Nancy, in a video posted on the city's Facebook page. "Probably, this TGV will intervene this weekend or at the latest Monday, the time for the services of the CHRU to identify the patients who can be moved to other hospital centers", continued the mayor qualifying this announcement of "good news" for the hospital. (La Depeche and Le Point. March 24)

STATEMENT OF DIOCESAN HOSPITALITY LE HAVRE OVER THE COVID-19 AS OF of March 29, 2020 « The Diocesan Hospitality of Notre Dame of Lourdes in Le Havre aims to serve the sick or disabled during the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes and throughout the year in the territory of our diocese. Our association has more than 400 volunteers who are used to serving nearby Lourdes pilgrims in need of care and are supervised by doctors, nursing staff and other health professionals. In these difficult times in our country, we wanted to put ourselves at the service of the various establishments in need of non-medical help: EPHAD (Nursing Homes) , Hospitals, clinics, ... We remain at the disposal of those in charge of establishments in the Havre region who would like to relieve the work of their staff and entrust us with a few ancillary tasks for this purpose. » explains Jean Pierre Baly, President of the Diocesan Hospitality of Le Havre

INTERVIEW JEAN PIERRE BALY PDT OF DIOCESAIN HOSPITALITY LE HAVRE-------------------------------------------- Comments collected by such and written, via email, from Jean Pierre Baly, by our reporter from USPA) 1-QUESTION USPA: YOU ARE THE PRESIDENT OF THE DIOCESE OF LE HAVRE AND YOU MANAGE TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS TOWARDS THE HOLY PILGRIMAGE EACH YEAR, WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALY: Each year the diocese of Le Havre rents two duplex TGVs to the SNCF to take around 750 people on pilgrimage to Lourdes, including 120 pilgrims who are sick or disabled and about 300 volunteers (who pay for their travel and accommodation) for serve and accompany them. The journey takes around 8 hours, the train is direct from Le Havre to Lourdes with a technical stop at Paris Montparnasse and Dax. The role of the transport team consists of placing disabled or sick pilgrims in the best transport conditions and arranging cars intended for these people. Likewise, we have teams in charge of materials (around 10 m3), luggage and a team more specifically dedicated to supplying food. For information, the rental cost for two TGV from Le Havre to Lourdes, round trip, is €145,000. 2-QUESTION USPA: SINCE WHEN DO YOU DO THIS? AND HOW DOES THE ORGANIZATION & THE ROUTE LE HAVRE-LOURDES WORK?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALY: As far as I am concerned, I have been a In charge of Hospitality, in Le Havre (in Le Havre we are called the Normand Cadets) since 1976 and I have been in charge for more than thirty years. The pilgrimage trains from Le Havre, as from other cities in France and Europe, date from the end of the 19th century. Until the year 2000 the SNCF rented us trains with adapted ambulance cars with bunks and easy access for pilgrims in difficulty and for those who took care of them during the journey. At that time the journey could take between 2 and 6 hours. Since the early 2000s, SNCF has gradually withdrawn these special materials and devices to provide us with TGVs which are "classic" TGVs that usually travel all over the French network. It was necessary to invent systems which make it possible for people to be bedridden who cannot travel seated on the whole journey; It is the diocese of Meaux, first user of TVG for its pilgrimage, who invented a system which was baptized "Briarde" (Meaux is the capital of Brie). Today the improved system is installed on the seats in 1st class which are opposite, which allows to install the person in relative comfort for the duration of the trip. 3-QUESTION USPA: IN NORMAL PILGRIMAGE TIME, HOW MUCH OF MEDICAL TEAM (NUMBER OF STAFF) BY MEDICALIZED TGV TO PATIENTS?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALY: In Le Havre for 120 people in need of care and assistance, we therefore have 300 staff of Hospitality and more particularly three (3) to four (4) doctors and a dozen Nurses. The distribution is done by train. 4-QUESTION USPA: HOW WERE THE TGV? ARE THESE TRAINS EQUIPPED WITH VENTILATORS ?---------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALY: In addition to the sick kits (formerly "Briardes") that we install, we can also equip the train with oxygen cylinders for pilgrims who need it. 5-QUESTION USPA: DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MEDICALIZED TGV TRAILS ARE AND WHAT IS THE CAPACITY IN TERMS OF PATIENTS?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALY: All TGVs currently in service can be transformed into medicalized TGVs. 6-QUESTION USPA: IN THIS PERIOD OF LOCKDOWN FROM COVID-19 DID YOU DRIVE DIFFERENTLY YOUR VOLUNTEERING TO HELP THE VULNERABLE?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALY: We made offers of service to the EHPADs (Nursing Homes), and Hospitals of our diocese in order to relieve them of ancillary tasks if the need arose. In addition, we have developed a pilgrim calling system that we usually accompany in Lourdes. 7-USPA QUESTION: FROM A RELIGIOUS VIEW, HAVE YOU PLANNED A PARTICULAR EVENT FOR EASTER IN THIS UNIQUE LOCKDOWN PERIOD?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER JEAN PIERRE BALY: We communicated by email during this period of Lent. For Easter Sunday, Father Didier Roquigny, parish priest of Etretat recorded the Service on Youtube and we widely distributed it. We will do the same for the ceremonies of Holy Week and Easter Sunday.../