A collective of about 100 health professionals held a white march on December 12 in Pointe-à-Pitre to pay homage to Jean-Michel Gal, a 67-year-old psychiatrist killed by a patient on December 1 at the medical-psychological center in Le Gosier. Dressed in white, the protesters demanded more resources to combat insecurity in psychiatry, denouncing unsuitable working conditions. A delegation was received by the Regional Health Agency to discuss improvements.
On December 1, Jean-Michel Gal, a 67-year-old psychiatrist, was stabbed to death by a 48-year-old patient at the end of a consultation at the medical-psychological center (CMP) in Le Gosier, on Grande-Terre island in Guadeloupe. This tragic event has sparked strong emotions among health professionals.
On Friday, December 12, around a hundred nurses, doctors, and health executives marched from Pointe-à-Pitre to Les Abymes, dressed entirely in white, to pay homage to Dr. Gal and demand "more resources" to fight "insecurity" in psychiatry. Under sun then rain, the protesters expressed their anger and fear.
"He is terribly missed. I am angry at everything, this person who did the act, and this feeling of insecurity we live with," confided Jean-Pierre Baral, 60, a nurse in the same sector, his voice laden with emotion. Christelle Antoine, a professional in her fifties with 21 years of experience, carried a sign stating "Your well-being our mission" and "Work in safety!! Sé sa nou Vlé!!" in Creole. "The situation is worsening," she explained, calling for "more people" and "equipment".
Jimmy Louis, 46, a nurse in the mobile de-escalation team, hoped that "this tragedy is not an isolated event, that there is a before and after." He highlighted issues with medical-psychological centers housed in individual houses, featuring "no emergency exits" and "corridors too narrow" leading to "too close proximity with difficult patients." Hermin Hubert, 41, a hospital service agent, supported his colleagues from the CMP in Le Gosier, several of whom were present at the scene and have not returned to work. Anne Poulichet, a 51-year-old pediatrician, added: "We all have security issues at work, directly or indirectly."
At the end of the march, a delegation of five people was received by the Regional Health Agency (ARS) in Les Abymes to request involvement in ongoing work on safety.
