Since yesterday, a dozen retired doctors have started to receive, with or without an appointment, at the new consultation center, the people of Tarnais who are deprived of an attending physician.
Emergency, emergency solution. Friday evening, by means of a press release, the Regional Health Agency announced the opening of a “new unscheduled medical consultation center in Albi”. All weekend, the news was relayed on social networks and Monday morning, even before the opening of the center, behind the court, the phone rang while the first patients presented themselves. Like this thirty-year-old, injured in the wrist, and whose attending physician was unavailable. After going around the emergency room, from the Toulouse Lautrec clinic to the Albi hospital, which directed him to this new center, he was finally able to consult a doctor. “What do we do, can we take it?” the two secretaries only hesitated for a few seconds, a little overwhelmed yesterday morning. Before accepting this new patient, more than relieved. The center is there so that people without a doctor, without a serious emergency, have access to care, with or without an appointment.
13 practitioners including a pediatrician
On the medical side, 13 practitioners from Tarn, including a pediatrician, grouped together in the association of retired Albigensian doctors (AMRA) created last January, have agreed to provide consultations, each half a day a week. Dr Yves Carcaillet is in charge of the schedules. At the origin of the association with Dr Jean-Marie Franques and the creation of this care device with Gilbert Hangard, deputy mayor for health of Albi, Dr Carcaillet is the referent of the center which operates from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. At all times, two doctors and a secretary will be present.
Legally, this new service is an extension of the Albi hospital which very quickly hired and trained three medical secretaries. “We finance the salaries with a balancing grant from the ARS” specifies Alexandre Fritsch, director of the hospital, essential partner of the system.
“A tremendous will”
Within the AMRA, these retired practitioners, very attached to the liberal status, are their own employer via the CPAM and the hospital. A derogation that the ARS only granted last Tuesday, for an experiment which will be evaluated after two years.
“We are relieved of all the administration. We are there to treat and we have managed not to be employees of others than ourselves” welcomes Dr. Franques. An essential point, for these doctors as for the town hall of Albi, which again last September, like Gilbert Hangard, refused to participate in the establishment of a public health center (The Dispatch of September 28, 2022).
The city carried out €50,000 of work in record time to transform its former conciergerie. The hospital provided much of the equipment and the department should take over. For Dr. Etienne Moulin, elected departmental and president of the order of doctors, this achievement is the fruit of “the tremendous will of all the partners”. Today, according to the CPAM, 11.5% of Tarnais are without a doctor. They will be 25% in 2025, i.e. nearly 100,000 people. “The lack of doctors should last another 10 years. This center should operate at least for this duration” concludes Etienne Moulin. From June 15, we should be able to make an appointment on the Doctolib of Albi hospital.
In the meantime, you can do it on 05 63 48 06 65 or go there, 26 rue Porte Neuve in Albi.