Death of Dr Michel Combier, figure of general medicine and committed trade unionist

Dr. Michel Combier, general practitioner and historical figure of the CSMF (Confederation of French medical unions) of which he chaired the branch of general medicine, died Tuesday evening in Toulouse at the age of 69. His career is marked by many years of commitment to his profession.

On the website of the URPS (Regional Union of Health Professionals of Occitanie), Jean-Christophe Calmes, the president of the URPS Liberal Doctors, underlines “the importance of the fights that Michel Combier led for our profession. Whether at local or national level, Michel Combier has always defended, through his various mandates, a vision of inclusive liberal medicine, at the service of patients and respectful of each person’s specialty. generalist with all the passion of the family doctor, and the union commitment with the faith of the fighter and the convictions born of his professional practice. Michel will be missed, but his ideas, his convictions will continue to accompany us”.

Professor Stéphane Oustric, president of the council of the order of doctors of Haute-Garonne, with whom he was associated within the multidisciplinary health center La Providence, evokes “a friend, a great general practitioner and trade unionist”.

He had fought to establish the concept of attending physician

Trained at the medical faculty of Purpan, Michel Combier moved to Toulouse in 1981, when he obtained his doctorate in general medicine. He joined the union fight fifteen years later within the CSMF. There he held the position of president of the Haute-Garonne doctors’ union before joining the steering committee of the branch of general practitioners of the National Union of French General Practitioners (UNOF), of which he was the Deputy Secretary General. It is quite natural that he will chair the generalist branch of the UNOF-CMSF at the national level between 2002 and 2013, notably succeeding in establishing the concept of attending physician.

The funeral of Dr Michel Combier will take place on Tuesday May 16, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. in the Saint-Sernin basilica in Toulouse.