Doctor shortages continue in Europe, especially in rural areas, where some medical centers are unable to recruit new doctors to replace retiring ones. In many European countries there is also a severe shortage of medical workers.
France
30 percent of the French population lives in areas without medical services. This means that almost 7 million people in the country do not have a general practitioner, says geographer and health researcher Guillaume Chevelar.
In France, there are more retired general practitioners than new doctors preparing to practice. In fact, the number of general practitioners decreased by 5.6% between 2012 and 2021, which is a challenge that the country will face in the next decade.
Although the government has recently removed the enrollment cap on medical schools, this solution cannot rebuild the workforce quickly enough.
Medical colleges and universities in France offered around 8,600 places a year until 1972, but twenty years later that number dropped to 3,500 in 1993, before slowly increasing until the place limit was removed in 2020.
However, in 2021 there were fewer doctors per capita in France than in 2012, falling from 325 to 318 doctors per 100,000 inhabitants.
According to the data, more than 44% of doctors in France are over 55 years old.
That huge shortfall prompted President Emmanuel Macron to offer last month to support retired doctors and encourage them to do so by waiving contributions they normally pay. About 10 percent of doctors in France work beyond retirement age.
Is France not the only one?
The health care shortage is not limited to doctors, not just France. According to data, the number of jobs required for this sector is 2 million.
More than two years after the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which significantly and tangibly affected the sector, governments and those responsible for European institutions and health centers are trying to correct the situation and recover and attract labor. .
In Greece, for example, the alarm was raised after the emergency subsided due to staff shortages. Although there is a huge shortage of tens of thousands of nurses in England, this profession tops the list of required professions in Finland. In Portugal, maternity hospitals are struggling to stay open due to a shortage of doctors.
The abandonment continues
Many of those working in the health field have left the profession and turned to other professions. One of the reasons for this is the Covid-19 crisis and its consequences, including the great fatigue it has caused workers. This fact has already shortened the professional lives of physicians and health workers.
difficult questions
A staffing crisis in France has raised the divisive question of whether doctors should resort to working in so-called “medical deserts” in remote towns, cities and villages that lack these basic services. Limiting its referral to areas less affected by this problem, since this type of procedure is already being used by other health professionals such as nurses, midwives and physiotherapists. The government’s plan to add a fourth year for new doctors to remain in “medical deserts” has sparked widespread protests and strikes.
Source: EuroNews
I am Ben Stock, a highly experienced professional with over 7 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in market section writing and have published numerous high-quality articles on various topics under my name. My passion for journalism has helped me to develop an in-depth understanding of the industry, enabling me to stay up-to-date on all the latest trends and developments.
