On-call doctor scheme marks first year with 1,600 visits
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The night-time on-call doctor service has handled almost 1,600 consultations in its first year, averaging four to five call-outs per shift.
A year since its launch, the Médecins de Garde Monaco scheme has proved itself a genuine fixture of the Principality's healthcare system. Reachable on 116 117 between 7pm and 7am, seven days a week including weekends and public holidays, the service has logged close to 1,600 interventions, working out at four to five call-outs per shift.
The scheme was designed to give residents access to non-urgent medical care overnight without having to turn to the Princess Grace Hospital's emergency department for issues that do not require immediate hospital treatment. Twenty-three doctors currently staff the rota, covering the full night period across the year.
The figures suggest the service has met a real gap in provision, particularly for families and elderly residents who previously had little option but A&E for after-hours concerns. For anyone living in Monaco, the number 116 117 is now worth keeping saved for those moments when a GP surgery is closed but a hospital visit feels like overkill.