Le Figaro Nice
For several days, a large banner has been flying over the departmental road of the Alps, in the heart of the village of Touët-sur-Var, in the hinterland of Nice. "The municipality is looking for its general practitioner," reads black, blue and green letters. However, it is not as if the current practitioner has set sail. At least not yet. The latter, installed for about three years in Toüet, must pack up in a few weeks to follow her husband, transferred near Chamonix. "The cabinet will be released in early July," she said. A departure that worries both the local patient and the mayor of the village, anxious to find a replacement as soon as possible.
"For his arrival, we had set up a tailor-made practice in the old school, with all the equipment necessary for the exercise of the profession. At his request, we had set up a brand new studio to accommodate an intern on an ad hoc basis, "recalls Régis Ciais. A comfortable practice waiting for the successor of the generalist. But now, it is a question of climbing the candidates to the top of the Var valley, to the village of 700 souls, located 45 minutes from Nice. "I'm confident!" says the aedile. "We are in a rural area of revitalization with all the services we can require. We have a butcher, an organic farm, a grocery store, a tobacconist, a media library, a sports hall, three restaurants, a bakery and even a municipal theater, "he lists, anxious not to omit anything.
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For 38 years that he lives in the town, Régis Ciais ensures that it has never been so attractive to "the people of the city". As far as care is concerned, Touët already has a speech therapist, an ophthalmologist, two physiotherapists, a private nurses' office... Not to mention a dental practice installed in the old town hall. "The jewel of the commune", according to the edile. But for the latter, the presence of a country doctor in the village is something indispensable. "Currently, the schedule of appointments of our doctor is filled over a month, that is to say. If we lose this service, we will have to travel ten kilometres to Puget-Théniers to consult." A distance that some, especially the elderly, do not have the ability to travel in this mountainous setting where the roads are considered dangerous.
"What do you want, the only figure that is increasing today is the number of retirements!"
Philippe Paquis, President of the Council of the Order of Physicians of the Alpes-Maritimes.
"It is common knowledge that the hinterlands are medically under-densed. It is a national problem from which we escaped for a time because of the living environment offered by the Côte d'Azur, but which affects us today as everywhere else, "analyzes for his part Professor Philippe Paquis, neurosurgeon in Nice and president of the Council of the Order of Doctors of the Alpes-Maritimes. He continued: "Young doctors no longer want to work like old ones, 5.5 days a week, in the office during the day and on tour in the evening. And then there is a relative disaffection for classical general medicine, with young people who do not like to work alone, as a doctor. They are more looking for practices with several people or with vacations and precise planning."
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In the department, despite the presence of about 2200 general practitioners, several sectors would suffer particularly from medical desertification. Like the Esteron valley, near Touët-sur-Var. "What do you want, the only figure that is increasing today is that of the number of retirements!", ironically the president of the council of the order. Not enough to discourage the mayor of Touët for all that. He promised his future doctor a fully equipped practice, with a moderate rent, without installation costs or patient buybacks.
In addition to the banner and messages published on social networks, the municipality proposed to the deans of the faculties of medicine to receive the future doctors during a "discovery day". "The opportunity for them to meet health professionals and socio-economic actors installed in the municipality. A lunch, a digestive walk on our health trail followed by a heritage visit of the old village will close this day, "explains Yvonne Hamon, deputy mayor.