Young doctors in medical deserts? "Incentives are no longer enough"

Antoine Terrel 2:37 p.m., November 19, 2021

INTERVIEW

The proposal risks being talked about.

About fifty deputies are due to table a bill this Friday in the National Assembly, devoted to the fight against medical desertification.

Their flagship measure is simple: to force new graduates to practice for three years in a medical desert.

A recourse to the obligation assumed by Thierry Benoit, elected UDI of Ille-et-Vilaine, appearing among the people at the origin of the text, invited from Europe 1. For him, the urgency of the situation imposes this kind of radical proposition.

>> Listen again to Europe Midi in podcast or in replay here

Incentives work more

"For 15 years, in the National Assembly, we have been talking about so-called incentive measures, such as the installation bonus, tax exemption, multidisciplinary health centers, telemedicine," he recalls.

But "it turns out that these so-called incentive measures, which I have supported for fifteen years, are no longer enough".

"The situation is worsening day by day across the national territory, whether in large cities, medium-sized towns or rural areas," warns Thierry Benoît.

Because medical deserts are "not specific to rural areas".

In total, "6 to 8 million French" do not have a referring doctor.

"Train more young doctors"

Faced with this situation, "there is an urgent need to act and to propose regulatory measures alongside the so-called incentive measures, in order to better distribute the doctors", insists the guest from Europe 1. "The number one priority, c "is to train more young doctors. Then, during the ten years of training doctors, the pressure must be lifted on medical students, on interns."

"We must better distribute the installation of doctors throughout the national territory", continues the elected.

However, "if we have a three-year agreement to go and practice in the under-endowed territories, that would bring regulation".