Patients affected by environmental diseases, namely when they are exposed toxic environmental chemicals, have had to travel abroad for treatment and be treated as outpatients. However, prospects for these afflictions are due to change.
Ten years ago, the CSV LSAP government committed to founding an environmental diseases clinic in Luxembourg. The project has finally been decided on a decade later, last week. The Esch-sur-Alzette based Centre Hospitalier Emile Mayrisch, referred to as the future Südspidol, will be the designated place for treating environmental diseases.
The hospital is due to be fully built by the end of 2026 and will include a 200 square metre integrated environmental clinic, where environmental diseases can be diagnosed and treated. Given the importance of treating such diseases, it is equally important the building hosting the clinic be free of environmentally-damaging materials wood preservatives or plasticisers. The CHEM director, Dr Hans-Jörg Reimer explained that this is a key condition to the hospital, confirming that the hospital as a whole will use appropriate materials and eventually gain a certificate for sustainable construction.
Existing plans for the hospital were already reworked to conform to the 2018 hospital law. It remains confirmed that the clinic will have two beds for inpatients and will offer six day-patient treatment options. Given the treatments required for environmental diseases, the clinic will have two completely cut-off facilities, which prevent any symptoms recurring. Another option being explored is a sauna-type room, allowing patients to sweat out toxic substances.
Using German statistics, Dr Reimer estimates that 20% of the population is affected by environmental diseases in different forms. These can range from skin diseases to chronic fatigue and nerves or autoimmune illnesses. Many of those affected do not even realise their suffering depends on the environment. In order to improve diagnoses and treatments, the clinic will require an interdisciplinary team of doctors broadly specialising in environmental medicine. Other doctors are currently being trained. Dr Reimer added that the team is working with GP to train them in considering environmental diseases. Affected patients could then be recommended towards the environmental clinic.
While the South Hospital is under construction, the interim environmental clinic will open at the end of 2020 on the Niederkorn site in specialised containers located behind the cafeteria.
