The Südspidol project, in Esch-sur-Alzette, is a sea serpent. The deputies of the Health committee learned on Wednesday that “the budget was increased to 793.1 million euros, instead of the 541.9 million planned by the 2018 financing law,” reports Max Hengel (CSV), president of the said commission. The jump of more than 250 million euros is not final, since an additional 54 million euros is expected “for adaptations requested by CHEM”, the current hospital of the municipality.
“We will have to go through another financing law,” notes Mars Di Bartolomeo (LSAP). The MP himself “submitted the project to the government council” in 2011, when he was Minister of Health. To justify the additional cost, Max Hengel mentions “the increase in construction costs, like everywhere”, as well as the changed context: “The pandemic forced us to review the organization and the needs. We have learned our lessons, but it comes at a cost.”
Also a delay, since the start of the work is now scheduled for the end of 2026. They have been repeatedly delayed, due, among other things, to delays in the development of the project and the dismissal of the previous architectural firm in 2021. The first patients should be received “in 2032 or 2033”, continues Max Hengel.
