People suffering eye-related emergencies are able to seek professional assistance in Luxembourg at any time thanks to a revision of the on-call structure for ophthalmologists.
Due to population growth and a significant amount of practitioners retiring in recent years, the on-call structure for ophthalmologists was recently in need of reorganisation. In 2019, the National Service for Specialised Ophthalmology was thus brought to life and set up in the Kirchberg hospital.
People with eye-related issues, pain, trouble seeing, or injuries should not refrain from seeking assistance as fast as possible. There is no need to contact the emergency hotline, patients can go see an out-of-hours doctor right away.
Information about the operating hours of the different doctors can be found on the website of the Hôpitaux Robert Schuman, which is updated daily at 7am.
Ophthalmological emergencies are classified into three distinct cases in Luxembourg: small incidents, severe injuries, and retinal detachment. If patients are unable to reach their regular doctor or if an emergency occurs at night or on a public holiday, then the emergency clinic or the office of an on-duty ophthalmologist is the right address.
On average, 150 to 200 patients contact an emergency practitioner due a small incident each year. Up to 2% of those are then still classified as either severe cases or retinal detachment, meaning patients are transferred to a hospital. An average of 120 cases of retinal detachment are registered each year, something that used to be only treated abroad, but can now also be resolved in Luxembourg.
