The municipality of Lincent in the province of Liège is at risk of being completely without medical professionals, reports RTBF. The area’s last doctor is about to retire, and there are currently no doctors willing to move to the village to replace him. Many of the town’s inhabitants are forced to travel around 10 kilometres to receive treatment.
In most areas of Belgium, there is a healthy ratio of doctors to residents. The average is around 60 doctors for every 10,000 people. Nevertheless, there are areas that reach single digits.
Lincent risks being completely left behind. Without anyone to replace its ageing doctor, there will be no medical support in the whole municipality.
Authorities state that they are doing everything within their power to attract young doctors to move to the region. The municipality is even fast-tracking recruitment, offering assistance and even an existing doctor’s practice to those who would like to settle there.
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Further south, in the municipality of Lierneux, a medical centre will soon be opened. Unfortunately, no doctor has expressed interest in joining since last July.
According to data from the World Bank, Belgium has the eighth highest number of physicians per 1,000 people in the world. The highest concentration can be found in Cuba, where there are an average of 8.4 practitioners for every 1,000 people. As of 2015, Belgium had 90 specialist surgeons and 188 nurses per 100,000 people.
