High demand for paediatric emergency services on first weekend of CHdN

The new paediatric emergency service 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 on the opening day on Friday.

Moderately severe cases can be treated at this hospital, while a transfer is organised to the City for severe cases.

Dr. Mehran Rezvani, who had his first workday at the hospital on Friday, told RTL he mainly attended to winter ailments, i.e. sore throats and streptococcal infections.

As the emergency department allocates around 15 minutes per patient, which does not suffice for a consultation, staff remind parents that they should only go to the emergency centre if their child has acute symptoms or if the child's condition suddenly worsens.

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."

Cardiology understaffed

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.