For what types of assignments is the Health Reserve mobilized?

The Medical Reserve generally provides backup support to healthcare facilities, regardless of the department (emergency, internal medicine, pediatrics, geriatrics, etc.), whenever exceptional circumstances warrant it and standard resources are no longer sufficient to handle the situation.

Can I become a health reservist?

The Public Health Code (Article D3132-1 and the decree of April 1, 2008) determines who is eligible to become a health reservist. Given the missions assigned to the Health Reserve (reinforcing a hospital, a medical-social facility, or a regional health agency), reservists must work in the healthcare sector and be able to integrate into it very quickly.

The following may therefore become health reservists (non-exhaustive list):

• Healthcare professionals: doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, from all types of services, including medical-social services;

• Non-clinical hospital staff: medical secretaries, medical dispatch assistants, hospital administrators, engineers, etc.;

• Professionals from regional health agencies, health and social services inspectors, epidemiologists, etc.;

• Psychologists.

Professionals may be public sector employees, private sector employees, self-employed, or retired. Paramedical and medical students, as well as medical and pharmacy interns, may also become health reservists.

Are there any specific medical requirements?

No specific physical condition is required. You simply need to be medically fit to practice your profession and present a certificate of medical fitness upon enlistment. When applying for a mission or training, the reservist commits to always maintaining such medical fitness and not being on sick leave or working part-time for medical reasons. Additionally, certain missions involve long-distance travel (train, plane), challenging living conditions (camp beds), or harsh climatic conditions (tropical climate). Reservists who are unable to endure such conditions are advised not to volunteer for these missions.

How do I become a medical reservist?

To become a medical reservist, simply register online at www.reservesanitaire.fr. After completing your reservist profile and submitting your documents, the platform allows you to submit an application to join the Medical Reserve. Once your application is approved, the contract will be signed electronically.

What will my obligations be once I’m enlisted in the Reserve?

Reservists are never required to go on missions or attend training. There is no minimum number of days required. Similarly, there is no guarantee that you will be called up or selected for a mission; this depends on current events, the type of skills needed, and the number of candidates available.

When a mission is launched, an urgent call for applications (an “alert”) is sent by Santé publique France via email to all reservists in the relevant profession(s). The call for applications provides specific details about the mission, the scheduled departure date(s), the professional skills required, and any eligibility requirements (e.g., being immunized against measles if the mission takes place during a measles outbreak). Reservists who are interested and able to make themselves available respond to the call for applications. Santé publique France selects candidates very quickly.

What about covering expenses?

Santé publique France handles all logistical arrangements for both missions and training sessions: booking transportation (train, plane), hotel stays, rental cars, etc. Santé publique France pays these expenses directly to its service providers.

Reservists therefore incur as few out-of-pocket expenses as possible. When expenses are incurred (particularly meal costs), they are reimbursed under the same conditions as those applied to a civil servant on assignment.

Are missions and training sessions compensated?

Compensation is provided for each day of mission and training. This compensation is paid to self-employed reservists, reservists without an employer (professionals typically working as temporary staff or those seeking employment), student reservists, and retired reservists. This allowance may also be paid to public-sector professionals, provided they choose to undertake a mission or training during their personal time (annual leave), subject to obtaining authorization from their public employer to hold a second job.

Compensation may be paid to the employer in other cases, namely:

• Public servants who wish to go on a mission without using their personal time. They are required to obtain their employer’s approval before the mission. If the employer refuses, these public servants are then granted “leave for service in the Medical Reserve,” which is a special type of leave. The employer may then request a lump-sum compensation from Santé publique France.

• Private-sector employees. These employees are required to obtain their employer’s approval before the assignment. If the employer refuses, these employees are then placed on “secondment” to Santé publique France for the duration of the assignment. The employer may then request a lump-sum compensation from Santé publique France.

As a guide, the compensation levels are as follows (non-exhaustive list):

• €300 per day of assignment and training for physicians, pharmacists, and midwives;

• €125 per day of assignment and training for psychologists, nurses, engineers, and senior administrative staff.

What if there is an accident?

The medical reservist contract outlines the provisions set forth by law. Each medical reservist is covered, pursuant to Article L.3133-6, during periods of employment or training in the Medical Reserve.

What should I do if I have other questions?

For all your questions, please consult our FAQ. If you cannot find an answer to your question, you can also contact us by clicking on "Contact the Medical Reserve" on the https://www.reservesanitaire.fr portal. You can also visit the Medical Reserve blog, where you’ll find numerous testimonials from reservists.