Fire Federal Councillor Baume-Schneider is proud of healthcare staff
According to Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, the rescue chain worked well after the fire disaster in Crans-Montana. "I am proud of how everything was organized."
06.01.2026, 14:07
06.01.2026, 14:08
SDA
Baume-Schneider told the media on Tuesday at the Valais Hospital in Sion that the health staff had done an incredible job. On behalf of the Federal Council, the cantons and the population, she wanted to express her gratitude, including to the members of the emergency services.
"No other country is in a position to care for so many injured people in such a short space of time," said Baume-Schneider, addressing critics who have seen the Swiss healthcare system at its limit. "Yes, we were and are dependent on help from abroad." But that does not mean that the structures in Switzerland are bad.
Appreciative words also came from the cantonal health director Mathias Reynard. The professionalism, solidarity and humanity of the emergency services saved lives, he said. "We are proud of the hospital, which initially took in more than half of the injured."
"We have great hope"
Originally, 55 people were injured, said hospital director Eric Bonvin. According to him, twelve were still being cared for at Valais Hospital on Tuesday, four of them in Sion. The latter are now slowly regaining their physical functions. "We have very high hopes for them."
According to Reynard, the work is far from over. This is one of the reasons why the canton has increased psychological support, including for nursing and medical teams. The aim is to work through the many psychological traumas.
40 people died and 116 were injured in the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve. On Tuesday, 83 injured people were in Swiss and foreign hospitals.
