Similar to French region Lorraine, the Province de Luxembourg in Belgium suffers from a shortage of medical professionals in their local hospitals.
For four years now, Luxembourgish courses have been held in the region to facilitate the transition, much to the dismay of some local officials. Bénédicte Leroy, director of a hospital group in the region, stated: “I find it incomprehensible that these classes are held almost next to the hospital in Arlon. They encourage medical professionals to leave Belgium without thinking of the consequences that it can have on our own institutions.”
According to estimates, more than 120 additional nurses are needed in the Arlon and Libramont hospitals, which cannot make use of about 94 beds due to the staff shortages. Furthermore, about 125 employees left to work in Luxembourg over the course of the past three years.
The institute in charge of organising the Luxembourgish courses refuses to take any responsibility in terms of causing an exodus of medical professionals. Officials insist that the demand is first and foremost caused by those who already work in the Grand Duchy and want to integrate successfully. Furthermore, they emphasise that they receive no benefits for organising the classes, and that application fees suffice to cover costs.
In fact, demand for the 40-hour course increased so much as of late that the institute had to launch a second programme.
