Luxembourg has unveiled plans for a centralised health procurement hub to streamline the purchase and distribution of medicines and medical supplies.

Luxembourg has passed a law allowing the creation of a national purchasing and logistics centre for the health sector. The new public body, which will fall under the Health Ministry, is intended to pool procurement to improve efficiency, rapporteur Christian Social People's Party (CSV) MP Jeff Boonen said. The centre is a direct lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic, aiming to save money and time rather than leaving purchasing to individual hospitals.

The centre will manage a critical national stock of medicines and sanitary products such as protective equipment, ensure the free distribution of vaccines under national immunisation programmes, and act as a central purchasing platform. It will also take over the management of medical cannabis.

For the Democratic Party majority, Dr Gérard Schockmel welcomed the move, while warning that the private sector should not be sidelined; any emergence of unfair competition would need to be confronted head-on.

However, the entire opposition, the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP), Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR), the Greens, the Pirates and The Left, criticised Health Minister Martine Deprez for refusing dialogue with the civil service union CGFP, which has led to a further social conflict.

The union has therefore entered conciliation proceedings.

The bill was adopted with 47 votes in favour, 7 against, and 6 abstentions.