Published
Article written by
/2021/12/14/61b8b98e077d1_france-2.png)
UFC-Que Choisir publishes an interactive map of the health divide. Nearly 20% of French people have difficulty finding an ophthalmologist. The situation is much worse for gynecologists and pediatricians.
At the University Hospital of Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle), the pediatric service had to adapt to deal with an epidemic of bronchiolitis. Open new beds, modify the allocation of staff when they are in short supply. In some parts of the territory, access to specialties is a real challenge. According to the UFC-Que Choisir association, 19% of French people live in a medical desert for ophthalmology. 23.6% of women have difficulty consulting a gynecologist. Even worse in pediatrics, 27.5% of children are in a medical desert.
Exorbitant fee overruns
This disruptive situation affects all specialties. “For thirty years, we have not trained enough doctors”, deplores Olivia Fraigneau, president of the national inter-union of interns. UFC-Que Choisir also points the finger at the sometimes exorbitant fee overruns charged by certain specialists, which constitute a barrier to access to care for patients.