Moroccan Mother in Avignon Struggles to Find Healthcare for Family

Marwa Srghir may try to get on the patient list of a general practitioner in the agglomeration, but she receives no positive response. She goes through her network of acquaintances, follows the advice given by the doctor of the Maternal and Child Protection (PMI) during her childbirth, but no doctor has agreed to take her as a patient, reports Le Dauphiné Libéré. "Is it because I’ve been here for less time than others?" wonders the mother of the family.

She decides not to see a general practitioner anymore and goes to the emergency department of the Avignon hospital to treat everyday ailments. The diagnosis reveals an allergy to lentils for one of the twins, and a urinary tract infection for the second. "Fortunately, these are not very serious problems," explains Marwa. She relies on her husband to make the trip from the Pont-des-deux-Eaux neighborhood to Raoul-Follereau Street. In the absence of her spouse, the young woman opts for self-medication to fight a fever or milder symptoms.

Marwa seems to see the light at the end of the tunnel. A counselor from the Vaucluse Primary Health Insurance Fund (CPAM) is willing to help her get a place with a doctor in the Greater Avignon area. "She gave me a paper and asked me to list the names of all the doctors near my home who had refused to take me as a patient. When I give it back to her, she will contact them to find out why they told me that and try to see if one of them can make an effort," confides the mother of the family.