Interview with Martin Deprez: How Luxembourg's health care will change
Hush Naidoo Jade Photography, Unsplash
In an interview with d'Lëtzebuerger Land, Luxembourg's Minister of Health, Martin Deprez, presented the key areas of her work after the change in leadership of the ministry. She emphasised the importance of continuity and new approaches to address the current challenges of the health system.
One of the main emphases will be a prevention programme that includes the promotion of healthy lifestyles through schools and community initiatives:
- Special attention is paid to proper nutrition, physical activity and combating bad habits.
- There will be cookery classes in schools and an increase in sporting activities.
- The main goal is to reduce the number of chronic diseases, which Deprez says will help reduce treatment costs.
The Minister also emphasised the acute shortage of general practitioners and plans to develop a network of group medical practices with extended hours of reception (from 7:00 to 21:00). She also talked about increasing funding for such practices to encourage young doctors to choose general medicine.
Today, about 30 per cent of patients go to hospital waiting rooms due to the lack of a family doctor.
The digital infrastructure requires modernisation to improve data sharing between healthcare providers. The HISL (Health Information System Luxembourg) initiative is still under discussion, but Deprez intends to:
- Ensure data integration between hospitals, physicians and laboratories;
- Create DSP 2.0 - an updated digital patient profile with easy access for clinicians and patients via a mobile app;
- Include Luxembourg in the pan-European health data exchange system.
Due to the high number of cross-border patients (up to 12% of paediatric referrals), the Minister stressed the importance of negotiations with neighbouring regions. It is not only about staffing issues, but also about coordinating the provision of health services between countries.
Martin Deprez is committed to creating a sustainable, digital and prevention-oriented healthcare system. Particular attention is being paid to modernising the structure of hospitals, making general practitioners more accessible and integrating Luxembourg into the European health data exchange system. These are long-term reforms that should reduce the strain on the system and make health care more efficient and accessible.
