“Very rare pearls”: two dentists from Moldova are changing the lives of patients in Indre

How would we be treated without foreign doctors? Around 30% of health professionals based in Indre and Cher have validated their diploma outside of France. This is the case of Alina and Alexandru Ichim, two dentists born in Moldova and who studied in Romania. Since May, they have been delighting the residents of Luçay-le-Mâle, near Valençay.

This Wednesday, they officially signed their installation assistance agreement. With a smile on their faces, they show you around the dental office with state-of-the-art equipment. “We really like calm regions and tranquility. We said to ourselves that it was good to settle in a region where we are needed. The mayor told us that we are very rare gems”Alexandru Ichim was amused.

An endless waiting list to get an appointment

The department of Indre has released 30,000 euros to facilitate their arrival on site. After one experience in Paris and more than two in Haute-Savoie, the couple of dentists settled in Luçay-le-Mâle six months ago. And since then, the meetings have continued – there is also no place before the end of February. “I went there as soon as they arrived and they put me on the waiting list. There are 400 people before me so I have to wait”testifies Anne, who lives in the village of 1,300 inhabitants. “We call but often we are not given an appointment date and we are not contacted again”regrets Chantal.

This perfectly illustrates the medical desert in which Indre finds itself. We can even talk about medical distress. Some lose patience, exasperated at not having an appointment. “There are people who get angry verbally or physically”denounces Mayor Bruno Taillandier. He wrote a few lines in the last municipal bulletin to express his emotion and call the perpetrators of incivility to order. “These dentists come to help us in the rural world. We have real recognition and we have to respect these people”insists the elected official. He announces the installation of video surveillance cameras at the entrance to the office.

Five years of guaranteed presence in Luçay-le-Mâle

Tensions have nevertheless eased in recent weeks. And Alexandru and Alina Ichim don't hold grudges. They agreed to stay five years in Luçay-le-Mâle. They must also reimburse the 300,000 euros advanced by the municipality to finance the equipment for the dental practice. “We could also continue to invest to offer very high quality care. The residents here deserve to have the same care as those who live in Paris”pursued Alexandru Ichim.

The mayor of the small village near Valençay measures his luck in having these dentists. “The first three months, they took care of emergencies at 90%. There are people who came from Loches, from La Châtre. People who have not seen dentists for 10 years and who find themselves with pathologies, it’s a disaster”deplores Bruno Taillandier.