In 2019, ALEM conducted a survey among its members, with half saying the absence of a university hospital in Luxembourg was the reason they chose not to return to the Grand Duchy, according to the association’s president Anne Eyschen.
“This means that for young doctors, a university clinic is something which represents a major attractiveness factor and which would make Luxembourg more attractive.”
The association of medical students has put together a concrete proposal inspired by the Bochum model: “After plans for a hospital were put on hold due to financial issues, Bochum University signed a contract bringing several regular hospitals together, founding a centre for university medicine. This was initially meant to be a transitional solution, but eventually worked so well that it has remained in Bochum. Students are able to visit different clinics to observe different subjects as part of their university education.”
The Luxembourg Hospital Federation is not opposed to the idea, but would need to discuss medical studies more generally, said president Dr Philippe Turk. " The university hospital is almost in the last stages of that discussion and there is still a lot to be thought about what it would look like. We need new metrics, new skills and new functions in the hospitals in the future. We have to project ourselves to 2030-2035 to see what we need in the health sector and then develop the right training together with the university and teaching staff.”
Dr Turk added that the subject requires broader discussion with the health and education ministries.
Regarding the Bochum model proposal, Dr Turk said that there is just one hospital in Luxembourg which fits within the legal framework for education and research: the CHL. However, he acknowledged that in reality students are being trained in other hospitals in the Grand Duchy, which is why the federation could not rule out discussions on different concepts for a university hospital.
