in Vienne, the exhaustion of country doctors

The commune of Trois-Moutiers (Vienne) is desperately looking for doctors. 2,000 patients come here to consult the only general practitioner in the sector. The Germain couple traveled 10 km to come, and are used to taking their troubles patiently. “One year he had bronchitis, we waited three weeks, after that there were complications”, says Ginette Germain. Cécile Richard is the last doctor in the village. They were still three in 2015. She receives up to 30 patients a day, a pace that has exhausted her.

During her lunch break, she swaps meals for paperwork. Installed for two years, she awaits the arrival of other young doctors. An intern from Poitiers (Vienne) came to work for a few months, but, discouraged by the journey, she will stop working in a month. For her part, Cécile Richard has reduced home consultations to a minimum. Despite the difficulties, she says to herself “very flourishing” in Trois-Moutiers, where it has a “very beautiful house”, and has access to a rich cultural life in less than 30 minutes. The Primary Health Insurance Fund and the department promise 75,000 euros in aid for new arrivals.