The announcement that the Niederkorn hospital would be demolished following the opening of the new Südspidol (regrouping the three CHEM locations in Esch-sur-Alzette, Niederkorn and Dudelange) prompted numerous questions and comments, notably regarding the presence of asbestos in the building.
Christiane Brassel-Rausch (Déi Gréng), municipal councillor for Differdange, raised the question of the demolition at a recent council meeting, reports the Wort.
Mayor Roberto Traversini (Déi Gréng) dealt with the asbestos query in a reassuring manner, explaining that, like many other buildings constructed in the 1950s and 60s, the hospital most likely contained an amount of asbestos. As confirmed by an industrial inspection, the amount of asbestos did not constitute a risk due its profoundly integrated and non-volatile nature.
However, the mayor was not opposed to the idea of demolition, stating that the site could be used for something new.
It is unlikely that a decision will be made before 2023, when the new hospital in Esch-sur-Alzette, close to the Raemerich roundabout, will open, and the Niederkorn hospital will close.
Whilst the council has no strategic plan for the offer of healthcare that will be kept at the Princess Marie-Astrid Hospital, the general consensus at the council meeting was to keep the basic medical care on offer in the municipality.
An environmental medicine service could complete the care offering at the hospital.
As explained to RTL 5minutes by the municipal authority of Differdange, if this were to be the case, it would require rethinking the current structure. It could therefore be more economical and ecological to demolish the current building in favour of a new one. To make this decision, the authorities will take into consideration criteria for sanitation, functionality, energy, and the economy.
In any case, the council will meet with the Minister of Health at the end of April and a committee will be put in place to discuss the future of the site. The committee will be made up of the authorities of the Émile Mayrisch Hospital Centre (CHEM), the areas served by the Princess Marie-Astrid Hospital(Differdange, Bascharage and Pétange) and the municipal authorities of Differdange.
