The General Director of the CHU de Nice, Jean-Jacques Romatet, was proud to present on Friday the Da Vinci S, a small robot that facilitates and improves the work of surgeons. The advantages are numerous: 3D vision, digital control, and tenfold magnification of the operated area. These features reduce the risks of complications during an operation, as well as the patient’s pain and the duration of hospital stays. This advancement comes at a cost: the General Council, chaired by Christian Estrosi, had to pay 1.7 million euros for this little gem.
But for the director of CHU de Nice, it was worth it: “This device fully aligns with our public health prevention policy. We are also focused on the development of telemedicine and aim to become a pilot department in terms of cancer screening.
Great Ambitions
Jean-Jacques Romatet took advantage of this presentation to revisit the achievements and goals of CHU de Nice: “Nice is the fourth hospital outside the United States to possess the Da Vinci S. This is the result of a proactive policy towards the health of the residents of the Alpes-Maritimes. It is a great source of pride for me.”
On his part, Professor José Santini, President of the Medical Commission of the CHU, explained the upcoming projects: “We are entering a period of internal transformations, staff renewals, but also new endeavors. Such as the Pasteur 2 hospital and the Archer 3. We are also not neglecting competitiveness clusters and education, where we rank 2nd in excellence nationally.” Three goals, therefore: high-quality local care, recognized education, and investment in research.
A very positive assessment also highlighted by Senator Mayor Jacques Peyrat, who sees even further: “I hope that Nice will become the future center of the Côte d’Azur for medical progress. This is part of my major plans to transform the city.” The mayor then engaged in an amusing comparison between the works endured by Nice for more than a year and a childbirth. “These changes sometimes happen with pain,” he declared, referring to the tramway work that annoys many, “but they are necessary and beneficial. Just like the arrival of a newborn.”
Bernadette Chirac Honored
Jacques Peyrat distinguished himself during this presentation of the Da Vinci S robot by giving a lively tribute to Bernadette Chirac. The President of the Hospitals of Paris-Hospitals of France was in Nice for the day. Every political figure competed in superlatives to describe the first lady of France. Christian Estrosi spoke of her coin operation with David Douillet, describing her as a woman “whose generosity and quality of heart are consistent with the attention she has always devoted to human suffering.” But the President of the General Council did not dwell on this operation, which was sharply criticized following revelations in Le Canard Enchaîné and Le Nouvel Observateur. The revenue generated by the TGV was not published due to the large deficit of the operation. The public accounts contained only one page, erroneously concerning operating costs!
Far from the controversy, Jacques Peyrat played the feminist card by advancing the positions held by Mrs. Chirac, notably that she was the first woman to sit on the departmental assembly of Corrèze. Such remarks could bring a smile when one knows the mayor’s reservations about the law on parity. He also highlighted Bernadette Chirac’s nomination as “Woman of the Year 2006,” for her commitment to hospitalized individuals. A tribute from both sides, which ended late at night at the Opera of Nice, where Jacques Chirac’s wife was the guest of honor at the tenth edition of the “Women’s Gala.”
