In a letter viewed by RTL, a number of anaesthetists in Luxembourg reacted to a recent statement issued by the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS), in which the emergency services confirmed the postponement of a vote on a new framework.
The CGDIS also criticised the delay to the legal opinion submitted by the Association of Anaesthetists and Intensive Care Physicians (CMARL), saying it had been sent to them when their working group had almost concluded the framework development. As a result, the group did not have sufficient time to examine the legal opinion in detail in order to adapt the framework, they said.
They added that the process would unnecessarily prolong the work and would not be indicative of a continuous improvement in emergency medicine outside the hospital.
The anaesthetists reacted furiously to the statement, responding that they had not sent the legal opinion at the last minute. Quite the opposite: they said the deadlines for the drafting of the new framework were too restrictive.
They added that they had made the board aware of their legal concerns much earlier, and said the board could have requested its own legal opinion at an earlier date, saving time and money.
The anaesthetists also asked why the framework needed to be changed so quickly, given that the level of quality of Luxembourg's Emergency Medical Assistance Service (SAMU) is one of the best internationally.
The anaesthetists added that there are no staff shortages, leading them to query why the matter has been handled so urgently. According to them, the current version of the framework does not reflect the views of the majority of the board.
The anaesthetists stated in the letter that the process has been unnecessarily accelerated in order to obtain a predefined result.
In contrast, the necessary urgency has been missing from other matters, according to the anaesthetists. They provided an example: last year, anaesthetists submitted a request for a new uniform with improved security, but have yet to receive a response, they explained.
The SAMU is due to be adapted, with the main amendment permitting emergency room doctors to join ambulances in the future. This means paramedics will not only be doctors specialising in anaesthesia and reanimation.
However, the anaesthetists oppose the change, saying it will cause the service quality to deteriorate. The current legal framework does not permit the amendment.
Emergency room doctors counter that their specialisation has changed over the years, giving them the necessary qualifications to join SAMU, as is the case in other countries.
