The Martainville building

The importance of the return of the maternity to the Charles Nicolle Hospital was acknowledged when the Board of Directors visited the site on 28 March 1982, in the presence of Alain Halbout, Head of the Hospital, Jean Lecanuet, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Professors Claude Duval and Jean Paul Lemoine.

Indeed, since the 18th century, the maternity had experienced several moves back and forth between two hospital sites. It was first installed in 1758 in the new premises of the Hôtel-Dieu, built west of Rouen, in Place de Santé, and remained there until 1855.

It was then transferred to the General Hospice Rue de Germont in a temporary building from 1855 to 1864 and then installed, from 1864 to 1946, in the Pillore building: "the Gesine Pillore ".

The heads of the maternity department who worked there were Jules Hélot and then Paul Hélot, Albert Martin and Georges Lauret.

In the middle of the 20th century, most surgical activities took place at the Hôtel-Dieu. The maternity ward was then relocated at the Hôtel-Dieu in the Derocque Pavilion located in Stanislas Girardin Street from 1946 to 1982, a building that was demolished in 1995.

The maternity ward followed the evolution of the hospital in Rouen, which modernized the quality of the patient care. It was again transferred from the Hôtel Dieu to the east of the city of Rouen, in the Charles Nicolle hospital. It returned to this site for the second time and this new building opened on March 20, 1982. On that day about fifty mothers and mothers-to-be with the help of the hospital's paramedics crossed the city to join the new premises.

On the day of the board visit, 8 days after commissioning, 24 babies had already been born, benefiting from the new modern conditions for welcoming newborns.

The establishment of the neonatal medicine department, upstairs above the maternity ward and near the Children's Hospital, already forecasts the idea of a Centre dedicated to women, mothers and children.

This new building is part of the hospital restructuring with the neighbouring children's hospital aimed at the overall care of the couple, the child and their family.

The development of the activities is facilitated by the increase of surface from 3,114 to 14,800 sqm. In addition to the gynecology-obstetrics department and the premature department, the building, on 5 levels, also has 2 radiology and ultrasound rooms, a 3-room operating theatre and a 4-room obstetric block.

Like many public buildings, this pavilion has benefited from cultural sponsorship. Plastic artist Ulisse Melegari was commissioned to create the work of art on the facade of the Mother and Child's Pavilion.