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30% of the French population lives in a medical desert and this is not the case only in rural areas. In Aygalades, in the northern districts of Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), it has been two years since a health center had to take over.
Landlocked in the northern districts of Marseille, the city of Aygalades had become a medical desert. Daniel Peres watched one doctor after another leave, until only two remained to treat nearly 7,000 residents. “For us, it was catastrophic. Two doctors for 590 homes. There is an overworked doctor, people are waiting in the street, in the cold”he said.
10,000 consultations in 2022
Two years ago, a new team arrived. A health center has been opened by Marseille hospitals in the heart of the district with five general practitioners who take turns. A resident of the neighborhood had lost the habit of consulting easily. “Everything is good because in addition, there is everything on site. It’s good, it’s better”, she argues. Patients are less isolated and doctors are happy to join forces. The team is multidisciplinary and is sometimes helped by specialists who come from the hospitals for the day for external consultations. With a budget of 600,000 euros per year, the center provided 10,000 consultations in 2022.
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