The ALSF heavily criticises the closure of the maternity clinic in Ettelbruck, adding that it only found out about the closure through media reports.
The association points out that the maternity clinics in Luxembourg City already struggle to cope with their own patients, leading the ALSF to wonder how exactly the reception of patients will be organised in Ettelbruck. In addition, there are “no plans to significantly increase the workload of staff members in Luxembourg City”. On top of all of that, midwives in Luxembourg City will also have to deal with “the concerns and anger” of their new patients.
The ALSF wants to know what will happen with the midwives in Ettelbruck and, in the medium-term, those in Esch-sur-Alzette, where the same problem might occur. Midwives are not nurses and cannot simply work in a different service, the association points out. Finally, the ALSF demands that the government should question the current system in its entirety and consider adapting the German model of ‘Geburtshäuser’ (birthing centres staffed by midwives and/or obstetricians). In that case, high-risk births would be concentrated in specialised structures, the ALSF explains.
Ettelbruck maternity unit shuts temporarily due to staff shortages
