Overview
- Councillors in Saint-Amand-Montrond passed the plan Thursday to offer €1,000 in local-shop vouchers from January 1, 2026 to mothers who deliver at the town’s maternity ward.
- The incentive is financed equally by the municipality and the community of communes, with vouchers redeemable at roughly 150 participating businesses.
- Officials say the unit risks closure after slipping under the 300-birth regulatory threshold, with 226 births projected for 2025 as some residents choose larger hospitals in Bourges, Montluçon or Nevers.
- Eligibility requires prenatal follow-up at the local public maternity, and the mayor says complicated births would be redirected to specialist centers.
- Four national doctor unions object to the payment on ethical and safety grounds, while France records falling births and fewer maternities and a lower-house moratorium on closures awaits Senate review.