Festive inauguration of new CHL maternity ward

(CS/DL) Tuesday evening saw the festive inauguration of the Centre Hospitalier's brand-new 54.5 million euro maternity wing in Luxembourg City.

The occasion might have been a bit of a trip down memory lane for Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who attended with the Grand Duke. Like many mothers in Luxembourg, the Grand Duchess gave birth to her children at the old maternity ward, which is being replaced with the new facility.

Together with the “Kannerklinik” pediadric ward it forms the CHL's new mother child centre. The buildings are located directly next to each other and have been joined for easier access and to enable better care for the smallest of patients.

Other guests included Health Minister Lydia Mutsch and Chamber of Deputies president Mars Di Bartolomeo.

The new maternity ward features six delivery rooms, with three tubs for water births. There are also two labour rooms, separate from the delivery rooms for the early stages of labour. Directly next to the delivery room are two operating rooms, with one reserved for C-sections. The ward for premature babies is on the same floor.

Capactity has been increased compared to the older Grande-Duchesse Charlotte ward, where last year 2,262 children were born.

Also located at the new clinic is a fertility clinic.

Medical care for women stands at the heart of the project, with the new mother child centre also carrying out mammograms and breast surgery. Women can also benefit from multi-disciplinary consultations, combining different departments of the hospital, rather than needing to make their way from one part of the hospital to the next.

First deliveries from August 14

The hospital has 52 beds in 36 single and eight double rooms. Thought has been put into the accommodation of patient. Thus, women who are at risk of losing their child are cared for in a different section of the maternity wing than new mothers.

There is also a day care centre where women coming to the hospital can leave their children, for example when they have a doctor's appointment.

Finally, there is a car park for 77 vehicles.

The new maternity took three years to build at a cost of 54.5 million euros. The building was designed by “Atelier d'Architecture & de Design Jim Clemes SA” together with “Valentiny hvp architects”. Engineering office “Goblet Lavandier & Associés” and structural engineers “Simon-Christiansen & Associés” were also involved. Medical planning was carried out by “Teamplan”.

The move to the new building will be carried out step by step over the coming weeks. The first babies are expected to be born at the new maternity ward from August 14.

The old site of the Grande-Duchess Charlotte maternité will remain for now, as it houses three other services of the hospital, which will undergo a complete overhaul in the coming years.

On July 5 the new maternity centre is hosting an open day from 10am.