On its inaugural day of operation, the waiting room at the CHdN's paediatric outreach unit was already brimming with patients on Thursday afternoon.
The new paediatric emergency service in Ettelbruck is now accessible every day from 8am to 8pm.
This expanded service comes as a relief for residents in the northern part of the country, sparing them lengthy journeys to Luxembourg City. Parents and their children were even seen waiting in the corridors.
The Centre Hospitalier du Nord (CHdN) paediatric department primarily addresses mild to moderate cases. For hospitalisations or psychiatric concerns, patients are directed to the Children's Clinic (KannerKlinik) at the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL).
Paediatricians from abroad
To staff the new department, CHdN has recruited four out of five paediatricians from abroad. Each team member will be on call six times a month.
Additionally, the presence of these paediatricians benefits the maternity unit, which had to close for two months in spring 2022 due to a shortage of specialists in newborn emergencies. Dr Jean-Marc Cloos, Medical Director of CHdN, noted: "As this team possesses expertise in neonatology, they are also available for such emergencies in the maternity unit."
Only two cardiologists on duty
In an interview with our colleagues from RTL Télé, Dr Cloos highlighted the need to bolster the cardiology department once again. Of the four cardiologists hired, only two are currently available for duty. One cardiologist is on maternity leave, and another has resigned for personal reasons.
Although the other two specialists have been managing on-call duties, the hospital is actively seeking a third doctor. "The situation is not the same as it was a year ago; we still maintain a cardiology department that operates non-stop at the CHdN," Dr Cloos explained.
The previous group of cardiologists resigned in autumn 2022, citing a desire for improved work-life balance. The hospital struggled to accommodate this request due to the demands of the on-call duty system.
Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish)
