Le Figaro Lyon
Aboard their van, Anaïs, Brice and their dog Todz set down their suitcases in Ain on the Hauteville plateau.
The second stage of their tour of France of medical deserts after the Drôme.
An idea that sprouted a few months ago in the heads of this couple made up of a general practitioner and a physiotherapist.
“I finished my internship in French Polynesia.
We had gone to the ends of the earth and we said to ourselves that we didn't know certain regions of France.
Often we heard that these rural areas without doctors - areas where we come from - were horrible.
So we know we were going to go
,” Anaïs confides to Le
Figaro
.
Originally from Auvergne, she chose general medicine at a time when the trend was more towards choosing specializations.
“I, like my partner, prefer to practice in rural areas.
It's more responsibility because people have less access to emergencies and specialists.
We also find that the patients are nicer.
There is this notion of family doctor.
Exchanges are less distant than in the city
,” she continues.
Also read: “Regularizing foreign doctors will not stem the scourge of medical deserts”
“We feel anger against the doctors”
For a year, aboard their van, they will go from region to region (one month in each) to offer replacements by posting announcements on groups of doctors and physiotherapists.
“With our little notoriety now, some colleagues call us to tell us that there is a need for help in their sector
. ”
Barely two months after the start of their journey, Anaïs has already met many patients who are not receiving care due to a lack of sufficient GPs:
“I think people are not aware of this problem.
Diabetic or hypersensitive patients who no longer have their medication due to lack of an appointment.
Overall, many patients let things drag on but within three months an illness progresses.
As a result, we also feel a certain anger against the doctors who, however, are saturated with work and cannot do more with a patient base of 1000 people.
However, she praises the “very good equipment” of the health centers.
“
We can go very far in diagnostics, we do a lot of things.
There is a lot of mutual assistance with colleagues, specialists, emergencies, etc.,”
she continues.
Online prevention
Throughout their journey, the couple wishes to raise awareness about life in these rural areas and to promote prevention on their social networks.
A subject on which Anaïs also wrote her doctoral thesis and on which she has been involved since her election as Miss Auvergne 2021.
“During my year as Miss, I got involved in several associations with the idea of 'use this moment to send health messages.
I believe that we can talk about prevention on the networks and have a positive impact if it is done well and by a professional
,” continues the Auvergne.
It now remains to continue this tour of France, the next stage of which is planned in Burgundy before probably reaching Alsace.
A journey at the end of which the couple will settle in a rural area, probably in Auvergne,
“unless they fall in love before then”
.
“But not in 2025, we already have ideas for a humanitarian project
,” concludes Anaïs.