An aging population along with higher numbers in cross-border workers would place additional load on current structures, Lenert said, underlining the importance to plan ahead.
The minister held a press conference on Monday to summarise her department’s achievements over the last years, which included new hospitals and expansions.
She welcomed the future coalition government’s ambition to simplify construction procedures, but warned that they must accelerate the healthcare system’s growth.
Regarding MRI scanner coverage, Luxembourg counts as one of the top European countries, and a hotline for mammographies helps doctors reach the right people for immediate appointments in urgent cases.
The need for health personnel will only increase over the coming decades. Especially in those medical fields where pay is lower, experts are missing. Tariffs should be renegotiated to attract more talent, Lenert stated. While this makes healthcare more expensive for all, the State must continue investing in public health.
Unlike her party colleague Franz Fayot, Lenert does not fear that the CSV and DP will break away from the socialist health policy of the last two decades. She admits she is “a little worried” but also wants to give the new government a chance.
Last but not least, one of the major hurdles in her time as health minister was the Covid pandemic. Lenert welcome the fact that, despite relatively few restrictive measures in relation to abroad, Luxembourg had a very low excess mortality.
Meanwhile, she also regrets that many projects, regulations and bills she brought forward are still in the drawer, one of them being a national mental health plan that has not yet been implemented.
