A very sensitive situation. Blocked on the floor of his small apartment for months, a 300-kilos man living in Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales, southern France), will finally be transported by a specialised service.

Suffering from morbid obesity, Alain, 52 years old, has fallen without being able to get up. He has been living surrounded by rubbish for six months now, according to L’indépendant, a newspaper in which the brother of Alain, who brings him food and attempts to clean him with wet towels, called for help on July 15.

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A major health risk for the man

“I want them to take me away. I want them to get me out of here. But they say they can’t do anything because of my heavy body,” said Alain.

On Tuesday, August 4, the man and his brother signed the protocol of evacuation proposed by the local authorities. They schedule the operation for September, a month of preparation being necessary.

Because of the lipid stagnation and oedemas, resulting from his obesity and his long immobilisation, even a slight improper movement could have serious consequences.

To evacuate the patient from his apartment, on the first floor of the building, the rescue team will use a special stretcher on which Alain will be sitting.

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Works planned in the apartment

But to do so, it needs some works. For example, the window will have to be enlarged, waste accumulated in the dwelling will have to be removed, lifting equipment will have to be operated as the street is too narrow, and the floor will have to be propped up.

Once in the ambulance, he will be taken to the hospital in a specialised service for very obese patients, at the University Hospital of Montpellier or Toulouse.

After that, they will take care of him for several months in a rehabilitation and nutrition centre.