As of Monday 21 November 2022, 40 young children with bronchiolitis were hospitalised at the Luxembourg Hospital Centre (CHL) and five at the Robert Schuman Hospitals (HRS).
Each winter, the bronchiolitis virus, otherwise known as the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), spreads and affects infants under two years of age, a small proportion of whom are hospitalised for a severe form. This disease can turn out to be virulent in some cases.
On Monday, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert, visited the CHL's KlannerKlinik to express her gratitude to the teams who are working tirelessly in the face of the current epidemic linked to acute bronchiolitis. The wave of bronchiolitis comes on top of two and a half years of health crisis and puts the health system under pressure again. “I would like to sincerely thank all the staff involved for their commitment and dedication in acute crisis management,” said Minister Lenert.
Faced with this situation, which has now been raging for several weeks in Luxembourg, Minister Lenert, ensured the proper functioning of the emergency action plan implemented with a view to relieving the Luxembourg health system and provide quality care for all children.
The management of the CHL has therefore set up a specific crisis unit in which the government commissioner and representatives of the Health Directorate participate in order to closely monitor the evolution of the sharp increase in cases of bronchiolitis.
The CHL was able to provide additional beds to the various units to accommodate young patients. The CHL has in particular made arrangements for eight patient rooms which allow an increase in short-term stationary capacity, accommodating up to sixteen patients.
In this same context, exchanges with the Robert Schuman Hospitals (HRS) and Emile Mayrisch Hospital Center (CHEM) are regular in order to optimise the care of young patients not affected by bronchiolitis.
In order to prioritise the management of bronchiolitis, the CHL has decided to temporarily cancel non-urgent scheduled pediatric surgery for the next two weeks, as long as this does not represent a loss of opportunity for children. Thus, the resources dedicated to the day hospital can be reallocated to support the teams in the follow-up of patients affected by the respiratory syncytial virus.
In order to support the KannerKlinik, the Ministry of Health has also agreed to temporarily use the health reserve to identify and provide healthcare personnel.
