The Minister of Health will launch a "massive movement" of administrative simplification, she announced on Monday, amid uncertainty about the government's intentions regarding a possible reform of the regional health agencies (ARS).
"Starting this week, I am launching a massive simplification of our health administration," Stéphanie Rist told RTL.
This project "responds to what Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said," she specified.
Mr. Lecornu deemed it necessary on Friday to carry out a "profound reform" of the regional health agencies (ARS). These bodies, which report to the Ministry of Health, are responsible for implementing national health policy at the local level.
Ms. Rist had, in the aftermath, sent a letter to the directors of the ARS, assuring them that there was no question of "dismantling" them but of making them the "arms" of the ministry.
The minister suggested on Monday that it was desirable to remove certain prerogatives from the ARS, citing a case where one of these agencies had opposed the decision of local elected officials to install a medical imaging device in their territory.
"When the departments, when the elected officials of the territory consider that it is necessary to do it (and) that they have the funding on hand, it is not up to the central administration to say 'it is authorized or not'," said Ms. Rist.
"We need a strong health administration, but one that is refocused on its core business," she concluded, without giving any concrete details on the measures under consideration.
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