Philippe Turk, the president of the Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals (FHL), talks about the Healthcare Week Luxembourg to take place from 20 to 22 September. He also explains how ideas, partnership and innovations can create a stronger and more resilient healthcare ecosystem.
The first edition of the Healthcare Week Luxembourg will take place from 20 to 22 September at Luxexpo The Box (Luxembourg Kirchberg).
The cross-border event is organized on the initiative of the Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals (FHL) in partnership with the event agency Quinze Mai (QM). It follows a visit of a Luxembourg healthcare delegation to the healthcare fair SantExpo in Paris last May
It will tackle health system issues including among others the digitalization and technological developments in the sector; research and innovation; the attractiveness, training, development and motivation of human capital; organizational and cultural innovation; quality management; communication; ethics; the sharing and protection of health data and the future of health system financing.
80 European healthcare professionals, more than 100 global companies, investors and startups will be present. 5,000 participants are expected.
Established in 1948, and then formalized as an association in 1965, the Fédération des Hôpitaux Luxembourgeois (FHL) brings together all hospitals in Luxembourg (9,000 employees and more than 1,000 specialist doctors).
Philippe Turk (its President) talks about the event and the healthcare challenges of Luxembourg and the Greater Region.
Philippe Turk, what conclusions do you draw from SantExpo?
The annual SantExpo health and medico-social event is an impressive exhibition: 30 years of existence, 30,000 visitors, a gigantic offer, and an impressive diversity of offers in terms of digitalization. But it remains above all a Franco-French event.
How does the Healthcare Week Luxembourg compare to other European health fairs?
The HWL is positioned between SantExpo in Paris and the Medica Fair in Düsseldorf, one of the largest B2B medical trade fairs in the world dedicated mainly to medical technology.
It revolves around the Greater Region, which represents an economic basin of about ten million people and encompasses four different health systems. In our view, it is therefore a laboratory of ideas for European health systems.
Hence, the HWL aims to be a place of exchange, where European health policymakers can meet. It is also an opportunity to take stock, analyze and highlight the best practices of the four countries in terms of health, and to put into perspective the specificities of the Greater Region in this area, but also to see how it could evolve in the medium and long term.
What will be the program?
Each topic will be the subject of one or two presentations by experts, followed by panel discussions involving colleagues and experts from neighboring countries, who will exchange on the perspectives the Greater Region offers.
We received extremely strong support from the government and all ministries. And we benefit from the High Patronage of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess for the 75th anniversary of the Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals (FHL).
Highly reputed speakers will attend the fair. A Harvard professor will also present the project on the notion of value creation in the health system (value-based healthcare), which was initiated in Luxembourg.
Prestigious experts and ministers from neighboring countries will also be present. At the opening session, Maya Matthews, Director for Health of the European Commission, will talk about developments in European health systems.
Thus, we intend to strike hard to show that the health sector must take its place in Luxembourg and be on the map of the Greater Region straight away.
“Like Switzerland, Luxembourg can serve as a springboard for these players, to settle in the Greater Region, or even in Europe.”
Philippe Turk, president of Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals (FHL)
How do all these experts and decision-makers see Luxembourg in this approach?
We are currently on the offensive. In recent years, we have been understood above all as a hoover of human resources, since 2/3 of our caregivers in the hospital sector cross the border every day, which is absolutely gigantic.
If we want to seek a solution to the talent shortage, this will not only be from within Luxembourg, but also on a cross-border and global basis.
Furthermore, we must think together about the training and structures to put in place, in order to change the situation, make jobs attractive, retain people, attract talent…
However, these challenges also exist in all other economic areas. The idea is therefore to respond together at the level of the Greater Region.
In your opinion, does the Greater Region have sufficient digital resources and skills for its health sectors?
Digitalization remains one of the major challenges in the hospital and healthcare sectors. This is therefore one of the topics of our scientific program, which we will present on the FHL stand, and on which we will invite experts to exchange their thoughts.
Luxembourg is a small market for the big European names in medical digital and we have to be aware of that. However, the country can act with agility and as a lever within the Greater Region on these digital issues.
Still today, most major health decisions are taken in Berlin, Paris, and Brussels, not in Arlon or Saarbrücken.
We therefore want to build bridges, particularly in terms of medical digital, and to do so by creating a platform for ideas and exchanges, which could allow one or the other of the players in medical digital to cross borders.
Like Switzerland, Luxembourg can also serve as a springboard for these players, to settle in the Greater Region, or even in Europe.
After the Health Week Luxembourg, are you planning other fairs?
Since last January, our FHL team has done a lot of preparation and organization work. Our experience in this area is still very new. Fortunately, we have outstanding support from our business partner QUINZE MAI, who is also the logistics organizer of SantExpo.
In principle, we plan an annual conference. Over the years, it could last 4 or even 5 days depending on the main and related topics we could cover. One of the themes that is close to my heart is the one of health democracy, which is also linked to the theme of digitalization, and which also positions the role of the patient in the health system, a role that must evolve and that we are ready to support as well.
