An additional 70 medical buses are to be deployed across France by 2027, bringing the national total to 100, according to a report by The Local. Known as médicobus, these mobile clinics primarily provide patients with access to general practitioners, while also offering consultations with specialists such as cardiologists, gynecologists, ophthalmologists, dentists, and midwives based on local requirements.
A single médicobus can service multiple municipalities by spending a full or half day in each location, typically parking outside public buildings. Under the first phase of the programme launched in 2023 by former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, 34 mobile medical units have already been certified, following an initial objective to deploy around one hundred units by the end of 2024.
The government stated in a press release that a second call for projects has been launched to achieve the total of 100 medical buses nationwide in a renewed commitment to combat medical deserts. These deserts medicals are regions lacking sufficient doctors, making it difficult or impossible for patients to secure timely appointments.
It is estimated that roughly two-thirds of France lacks adequate doctor coverage, with the shortage particularly severe in rural areas affecting general practitioners, pediatricians, and dentists. This announcement follows the mid-October launch of a new scheme where 2,700 newly qualified junior doctors began a year of work in areas suffering from doctor shortages.
When the project started in 2023, the government stressed that the mobile units should be viewed as a temporary solution and an initial step toward a sustainable healthcare system. Banque des Territoires, which provides funding alongside Agences Regionales de Santé, l'Assurance Maladie, local authorities, and private funds, estimates that each unit will cost an average of €200,000 annually.
To achieve the 2027 target, the government has formed a new formal partnership with Banque des Territoires, which is allocating €3.2 million to support scheme operations and individual projects with €25,000 each. Qualifying mobile medical units can also join the France Santé network established in 2025 to ensure citizens can access a health solution in under 30 minutes and secure appointments within 48 hours when necessary.
Source: The Local. Read the original report ↗