Teleconsultations in stations: the Order of Physicians expresses “its very deep concern”
The Order of Physicians strongly criticized Monday the SNCF project to install teleconsultation spaces medical in its stations. This national council “can only express its very deep concern about the development of such commercial and economic health activity” regarding this project.
“This proposal will divert health professionals, who will thus be less available to practice in the most vulnerable areas,” notably predicted the Order of Physicians. He also denounces a new step towards the “financialization” of the health system.
The Order “calls much more” on the SNCF to “improve rail service to the most isolated territories, a real challenge for the attractiveness of the territories with regard to the installation of health professionals”, he added .
In 300 stations by 2028
The railway company said on Friday want to deploy telemedicine spaces to combat medical deserts in around 300 stations by 2028. These 15 m2 spaces must be installed initially in modular buildings provided by Loxamed, a subsidiary of the Loxam group (rental of construction site equipment ). This has designed specialized modules in care, used in particular during the health crisis for screening.
The SNCF indicated that a nurse would always be present on site, and that each patient “will be examined remotely by a doctor practicing on French territory”. Loxamed plans to contact the regional unions of health professionals (URPS) to find nurses and private doctors who will provide teleconsultations.
THE doctors’ union UFML (French Union for Free Medicine) also strongly denounced the initiative of the SNCF and Loxamed, seeing it as a new example of the development of “very lucrative low-cost medicine” for companies. “There can be no good medicine made from push-button consumption at a distance from a doctor who does not know the patient,” criticized the union.
