Good news in the middle of a medical desert. The multidisciplinary health center of Saint-Maur, near Châteauroux, has a new dentist. To help him get settled, the Indre Departmental Council granted him aid of 15,000 euros. “In return, he undertakes to stay five years in the town, within the medical center”explains Frédérique Mériaudeau, first vice-president of the Departmental Council, delegate for health.
A financial incentive is one of the solutions for bringing young caregivers to Berry. And even more specialists. “It will allow me to settle in, because in dental surgery, we have a lot of equipment, in particular the camera, the microscope… It has a huge cost, so nudges like that allow us to s ‘install”reacts François Giard, the new dental surgeon.
There should be twice as many dentists in Indre
The young man grew up in the department, left to study, and wanted to return to his native land. Long-term, he would like to open a bigger dental practicebecause he notes the glaring lack of caregivers in the department. “We have a lot of patients who call, who have already contacted 30 dentists, sometimes for emergencies but who cannot find anyone, because all the dentists in the area have their heads under water.he says. I have recovered patients who have not been treated for 10-15 years and have given up after a while. As long as they’re not in pain, there’s nothing to worry about, but one day they show up with big problems.”
“We are in dire need of dentistsadds Frédérique Mériaudeau. There are 67 in the department, and it would take more than double”. Recently, the Indre Departmental Council also granted installation assistance to a masseuse-physiotherapist in Éguzon-Chantôme.