French medical deserts expanding as 87% of France affected, Digi Mart USA News: Four municipalities in the Gers, two in the Landes and one in Bigorre are among the territories particularly affected. The communities named are Cœur de Haute Lande, Landes d’Armagnac, Lomagne Gersoise, Artagnan de Fezensac, Armagnac Adour, Bastides et Vallons du Gers, and Pays de Trie et du Magnoac.
Unfortunately, medical deserts are no longer concentrated only in rural areas. They increasingly affect medium-sized towns and even urban outskirts.
An analysis of medical demographics covered 34,935 municipalities in metropolitan and overseas France across nine health professions. It recorded 62,900 liberal general practitioners in 8,784 municipalities, with a wide gap between areas: 26,151 municipalities have none, while 12 million inhabitants live there.
For other professions, the study found 50,756 dental surgeons in 5,538 municipalities; 73,937 pharmacists in 8,259 municipalities, and 20,003 community pharmacies; 108,919 physiotherapists in 10,008 municipalities; and 103,509 liberal nurses in 11,717 municipalities. It also counted 24,586 liberal speech therapists in 5,977 municipalities; 17,101 liberal podiatrists in 5,202 municipalities; 15,957 veterinary practices in 5,635 municipalities; and 9,975 liberal midwives in 3,577 municipalities.
In the red zones, a territorial solidarity measure has been launched to allow volunteer general practitioners to reinforce care provision with part of their time. However, the source notes that this is far from assured at present.
Separately, 3,000 junior doctors have just been mobilized. These are fourth-year residents (the tenth year of study) who will practice independently under the supervision of a placement supervisor.
They receive a flat-rate bonus of 500 euros gross per semester, provided they perform at least 200 acts or consultations per month on average, plus an additional 1,000 euros gross per month for those practicing in priority intervention zones.
The situation remains under watch.
