Traveling several tens of kilometers to find a hospital is the fate of a large part of the French population. Faced with these “medical deserts”, Xavier Roy, head of the CSSR (aftercare and rehabilitation center) in Châteauroux, offers a drastic solution inspired by Canada: coercion.
In 2021, the Association of Rural Mayors of France (AMRF) will reveal that ten million French men and women live in an area where access to care is difficult. According to a study revealed by the organization, rural people consume 20% less hospital care than urban residents. And according to West Francein 2019, 70% of the municipalities in the territory would have fewer than two private GPs per 10,000 inhabitants.
A phenomenon that is accentuated a little more every year, without sparing the slightest region, as evidenced by Dr. Xavier Roy whose hospital in Indre struggles to cover the surrounding population. “Last year we received three patients with generalized cancer, he trusts the New Republic. These three people had not seen a primary care physician for six or seven years and thus had no primary prevention. Their pathology may have been discovered earlier and they may have been saved. †
For the doctor who regrets the lack of interest of presidential election candidates in the subject, there is a solution to combat desertification. “We need to apply the Canadian method to force young doctors to work in medical deserts for two years. It represents only 5% of their professional life. Studies are free in France, I think they can give back to society. †
A radical solution that makes you think…