Map: the 151 areas of France chosen to get more doctors from September
Areas include parts of Lot-et-Garonne, Dordogne, Creuse, Allier and Ni猫vre
The 151 zones are predominantly rural, with the majority located in the southern half of France, covering a total of 2.5 million residentsH_Ko / Shutterstock / Minist猫re de la sant茅
More GPs will be made available from September in 151 areas of France - including parts of Lot-et-Garonne, Dordogne, Creuse, Allier and Ni猫vre - under a government plan to address the issue of medical deserts.
The 151 areas, which are all communaut茅s de communes, were identified on a map published by the Ministry of Health on June 27.
These areas are set to receive support from general practitioners up to two days per month, on a voluntary basis.
One of its central measures is the launch of a mission de solidarit茅 territoriale pour les m茅decins, aimed at reinforcing access to care in medical deserts.
The 151 zones are predominantly rural, with the majority located in the southern half of France, covering a total of 2.5 million residents.
Some departments are better represented, such as Dordogne (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), with nine Communaut茅 de communes included:
Vall茅e de la Dordogne et For锚t Bess猫de
Domme-Villefranche du P茅rigord
Portes Sud P茅rigord
Bastides Dordogne-P茅rigord
Isle et Crempse en P茅rigord
Pays de Saint-Aulaye
P茅rigord Rib茅racois
Dronne et Belle
P茅rigord Nontronnais
On the other hand, Eure (Normandy), which is one of the departments with the fewest doctors, has none.
The new zones, marked in red on the map below, were selected using data from the national health statistics agency DREES.
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Credit: Minist猫re de la sant茅
Plans to address medical deserts
Although described as a first step, the government acknowledges the measure will not resolve the problem of medical deserts, which, according to the Ministry of Health, affects 87% of France.
Local authorities are now working to identify consultation sites in each zone, with the aim of offering volunteer doctors suitable conditions in which to practise.
The initiative is being launched as a pilot phase, pending the adoption of related legislation currently under debate in parliament.
A government-backed proposal from Senator Philippe Mouiller (Les R茅publicains) would allow doctors to be penalised if they refuse to take part in the territorial solidarity mission.
The bill was adopted by the Senate in May but has not yet passed parliament.
The healthcare plan also includes the deployment of fourth-year medical interns to understaffed regions around the country.
