The head of France’s National Commission for the Control of Places of Detention, Dominique Simonnot, has expressed strong concern over the "deplorable" conditions faced by patients in general and psychiatric emergency services in Île-de-France, the region that includes Paris. This assessment follows an inspection of over a dozen emergency services in the area, including several well-known hospitals such as Pitié-Salpêtrière, the European Georges-Pompidou Hospital, and Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital. The commission’s findings reveal significant shortcomings in patient care, including long waiting times, inadequate facilities, and instances of arbitrary detention. During the inspection, Simonnot highlighted that patients often wait between 20 and 40 hours before being hospitalized. Once admitted, some individuals are restrained on stretchers in emergency rooms, secured at multiple points—such as the stomach, ankles, and wrists—for up to nine days. These practices, she said, violate patients’ basic rights and dignity. "How do you satisfy your natural needs?" Simonnot asked indignantly. "It is the worst violation of the freedom of movement. How can you have confidence in the care you receive?" Simonnot attributed the poor conditions to a severe shortage of caregivers in psychiatric departments, estimating a 30 to 40% shortfall in staffing. This shortage, combined with a lack of beds, has led to overcrowded and under-resourced emergency services. Emmanuelle Rémond, president of the National Union of Families and Friends of People with Mental Illness and/or Disabilities (Unafam), echoed these concerns, emphasizing that the undignified treatment of patients has discouraged caregivers from working in these environments. Rémond called for improved training for all caregivers to ensure more humane treatment of patients. The commission’s urgent recommendations, aimed at improving the reception, waiting, and orientation of psychiatric patients in emergency departments, were published in the Official Journal on Thursday. These recommendations were sent to the ministers of Health, Interior, and Justice on July 24. However, none of the involved ministries have responded to Simonnot’s findings so far.