Rural mayors raise alarm over French medical deserts
A study has shown that the number of administrative districts without a doctor in France rose by 62% between 2010-17
Rural mayors have said there has been a 鈥渄owngrading鈥� of healthcare options for people living in "medical deserts" in the French countryside, as a new study shows that the number of administrative districts without a doctor rose from 91 in 2010, to 148 in 2017 - a rise of 62%.
The study, commissioned by mayoral collective L'Association des maires ruraux de France (AMRF), found that many rural areas in France have 鈥渁ccess to health care that is inferior to the average in French territories鈥�.
The research - carried out by Professor Emmanuel Vigneron, a health geography specialist at the University of Montpellier - showed that the problem has increased in recent years. Between 2010-17, 鈥渕edical density鈥� - meaning access to local medical care - fell by over a third in 30% of all administrative districts in France.
It found that density of all medical care available per 1,000 inhabitants in France 鈥渋s systematically inferior in the countryside compared with extremely urban areas鈥�, with up to half the number of specialist doctors in extremely rural areas as in urban areas.
Mayor warns against medical 鈥榗atastrophe鈥�
Vice-President of l鈥橝MRF Dominique Dhumeaux told news source : 鈥淲e are only at the beginning of this crisis. If nothing is done, we will run in to catastrophe.
鈥淭his difficulty to access healthcare is unbearable.鈥�
He added that over half of rural doctors are aged over 55 鈥� and many aged over 70 - with young doctors at the start of their careers more likely to work in cities.
A commissioned by l鈥橝MRF has shown that life expectancy in the French countryside has been falling since 2020 compared with French towns, with people in rural France now likely to live on average two years fewer than those in cities.
A second report found that people in the countryside use hospital care facilities 20% less than people in urban areas.
Mr Dhumeaux said: 鈥淸There is] a thin line connecting healthcare use, life expectancy and the presence of doctors on the ground.鈥�
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