alternatives to deal with medical deserts

A resident of La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée) is on an almost impossible quest. She is looking for a general practitioner in a department that is sorely lacking. Medical practices are disappearing due to a lack of relief. Some therefore consider La Roche-sur-Yon as a medical desert. Thus, 7,300 patients would have no attending physician, ie more than one inhabitant in ten. So, since January, at the hospital, a special number has been set up, funded by the state. Care niches are found for these patients.

Every afternoon, the hospital opens an experimental care center. Twelve appointments are offered each day for non-urgent care. The permanence is ensured by volunteer city doctors, paid 260 euros per half-day. This attracts retired doctors or medical students. The objective is to multiply the appointments in order to avoid cluttering the emergencies.