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SAINT-DENIS, Reunion – The head of the hospital service on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion issued an urgent call for medical reinforcements over the weekend, warning that facilities are “stretched to their limits” battling a severe chikungunya epidemic that has reached its predicted peak.
“We are really stretched to our limits,” Lionel Calenge told RMC radio on Sunday. His plea comes as the island braces for a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, part of a wider tour of the region.
Epidemiologists had forecast the epidemic would intensify in mid-April, a prediction Calenge confirmed is now reality. “Every day, for several weeks now, we have been getting between 30 and 40 patients with ‘chik’ in our two emergency wards,” he stated, highlighting the sustained pressure on medical services despite earlier indications from France’s public health service that the outbreak might be easing.
Since the start of 2025, the mosquito-borne virus has killed six people in Reunion. The scale of the outbreak is significant, with estimates suggesting around one in nine residents – approximately 100,000 people in the population of nearly 900,000 – has been affected.
The strain on the island’s four main hospitals under Calenge’s purview is immense. Since the beginning of the year, 581 individuals have required hospitalization due to chikungunya, including 46 newborns. Compounding the crisis, the healthcare system is grappling with significant staff shortages, as 540 medical personnel have contracted the illness themselves since early March and are currently off work.
To manage the surge, hospitals have postponed around 300 non-urgent operations and recalled staff members from leave. Despite receiving three backup doctors so far, Calenge stressed the need is far greater, appealing for an additional six doctors to help manage the crisis.
President Macron’s visit this week brings national attention to the island as it grapples with this significant public health emergency.
Disclaimer: This news article is based on information provided from a report dated Sunday and attributed to AFP, published in 2025. While structured as a current news report reflecting the situation as of April 21, 2025, it primarily relays the details available from that specific source document describing events and statements from the preceding day.
