The town hall of Évron had a funny surprise on Monday July 11: residents began to call the secretariat to request an appointment with the doctor. These calls have multiplied in recent days. The town hall quickly understood where they came from. A doctor from Évron actually recorded a message on his landline answering machine, before going on summer vacation. When patients call his office, they now come across a messaging system that recommends that they call 15, 116-117 …. or the town hall of Évron. “While I’m gone, you’re going to have a hard time finding a doctor. Dial 15 in case of emergency, 116-117 in the evening and if you can’t find anyone, call the town hall of Evron, which has been responsible for the sustainability of care for a few years. can we hear the voice of the doctor.
“The town hall secretariat will never serve as a medical secretariat”
The mayor of Évron, Joël Balandraud does not take off. Why did this doctor from the town refer the inhabitants to the town hall to find an appointment with the doctor? The message was also recorded on the answering machine without the town hall being notified of this process. “This is neither our role, nor our means, nor our job. And even legally, no town hall takes appointments for patients, it’s something that can’t happen“, protests Joël Balandraud.
He sent a letter to the representative of the Council of the Order of Physicians in Mayenne in order to denounce this absurd situation. “We put people in trouble. They believe their doctor telling them they can call the town hall, they think it’s organized. We have receptions at the town hall who are not aware or who necessarily receive people badly. It can also generate violent behavior, bad relations with the town clerk, then the town hall in general“, regrets the mayor of Évron, who denounces a “unacceptable behavior” from the doctor.
He organized a load shedding of calls on a town hall secretariat which has no competence to do so.
Joël Balandraud, mayor of Évron
The town hall receives on average “ten calls per hour“. It is not just this doctor’s patients who are looking for an appointment when there are fewer doctors during the holiday period, the inhabitants of Évron, “who do not have a doctor”also call “as soon as they have a problem“.
Calls from patients could continue for many more weeks as the doctor concerned is on vacation until August 2. “We must inform people not to take into account this last call number which is not a call number which does not have a medical solution. The town hall secretariat will never serve as my medical secretariat. It’s unthinkable for us“, insists Joël Balandraud.