Bastogne Hospital Transformation to Begin January 2027

The Hôpital Sainte-Thérèse in Bastogne, a small city in the Belgian province of Luxembourg, will begin a major transformation on January 1, 2027, transitioning from an acute-care hospital into a “proxiclinic” — a proximity clinic focused on outpatient care, day surgery, and basic emergency services. The plan, approved by the Vivalia intercommunal healthcare board on July 7, 2026, marks a significant step in the broader Vivalia 2030 regional healthcare reorganization.

What the Transformation Entails

The reorganization involves three major changes. First, the hospital’s six-bed intensive care unit will close, though three “intensive-care character” beds will be maintained within the new emergency structure. Second, the emergency department will be converted into a Primary Emergency Care Unit (PPCU) open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, treating only minor emergencies on site. Serious cases will be transferred to Libramont via the SMUR emergency medical transport service, which will be maintained at Bastogne at least until 2028. Third, Bastogne will progressively become a day hospital, with a full day-surgery model — where patients arrive in the morning and leave the same evening — targeted for the first half of 2028.

According to RTBF, the plan was presented to staff on July 8 under a tent on the hospital grounds, drawing a large crowd of concerned employees.

Regulatory Pressure Driving Change

The transformation was not entirely voluntary. The AVIQ (Walloon Health Agency) issued a report highlighting insufficient medical personnel, lack of required competencies, and specialists not being reachable quickly enough at the Bastogne site. Based on this report, Walloon Health Minister Yves Coppieters issued an order in April 2026 giving Vivalia six months to comply with regulatory standards — effectively setting the January 1, 2027 deadline.

“The changes will happen according to the roughly planned schedule,” Pascal Mertens, Director General of Vivalia, told RTBF. “We had clearly indicated from the start that the first proxiclinics would open in Bastogne and Virton. We had set the 2028 deadline, so we are within that framework. What we decided yesterday at the board level is the roadmap to get there.”

Reassurances and Concerns

Dr. Olivier Clarinval, Medical Director for the Libramont and Bastogne hospitals, sought to reassure the public about the emergency care changes. “Patients who come to the emergency room in Bastogne will be seen by a doctor, by a nursing team, and treated on site if possible,” he said. “We see that only 40% of emergency patients are hospitalized — meaning we can handle 60% of patients at our emergency level, whether for a fracture or wound suturing.”

However, concerns remain, particularly among medical staff. An anonymous Bastogne doctor warned that losing intensive care capacity would have serious consequences. “No more carotids, no more large arteries, no more inguinal hernias… Pacemaker implantation is finished,” the doctor told RTBF. “What do we do when there’s a heatwave like the one we just experienced and other hospitals are saturated? Houdemont isn’t operational yet — this closure is premature.”

Staff are also anxious about potential transfers. Laurence Nutal, a permanent delegate at the CSC Public Services Union, noted: “There will be transfers. We also need to see if people are willing to work elsewhere, because that means extra kilometers, extra travel time… There are a lot of concerns about the future, about the organization.”

The Broader Vivalia 2030 Context

Bastogne’s transformation is part of the wider Vivalia 2030 plan, which envisions only two acute hospitals in the province of Luxembourg long-term: the existing hospital in Marche-en-Famenne and the future “Cœur du Luxembourg” hospital in Houdemont-Habay, currently under construction. Other sites, including Virton, will follow Bastogne’s path toward becoming proxiclinics.

The success of the reorganization depends heavily on Libramont surgeons being willing to operate in Bastogne — a variable that some observers doubt. As one Libramont doctor noted, “There’s a difference between saying it and doing it. Why would a surgeon go to Bastogne, in a different environment, if things are going well in Libramont?”

What’s Next

The medical council of the CHCA (Libramont-Bastogne hospital center) is expected to issue its opinion on July 27, 2026. Vivalia has assured that no layoffs will result from the reorganization, though staff transfers between Bastogne and Libramont are expected. For residents of the Bastogne region, the coming months will bring significant changes to how they access healthcare — with the promise of a modernized, sustainable facility on one hand, and longer travel times for serious emergencies on the other.