The Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+) is working with partners at the Uniklinik Aachen, the Clinique CHC MontLégia and the CHR de la Citadelle in Liège to create a Euregional Centre for Paediatric Surgery. On this page you will find all the ins and outs regarding the initiative.
Background
Paediatric surgery is a highly specialised field that requires extensive education and training. However, European research has shown that there are relatively few paediatric surgical centers in the Netherlands and Belgium compared to other European countries such as Germany. The Netherlands has a number of large paediatric surgical centers spread throughout the country, but in the south of the country such a facility is lacking to a certain extent. In practice, this means that children in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion that are in need of a surgical procedure often have to travel in order to receive treatment, far away from their homes and families. Against this background, the partner hospitals are working together to provide high quality and future-proof paediatric surgical care in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. For more background information click here.
Paving the way for a Euregional Centre for Paediatric Surgery
Cross-border healthcare cooperation is not self-evident. Indeed, the partners cooperating to create the Euregional Center for Paediatric Surgery face major challenges. In particular, legal and administrative obstacles pose a challenge to the formalizstion of the cooperation and recognition of the center as a single institution. Are you curious about the opportunities, challenges and necessities of the Euregional Centre for Paediatric Surgery?
Read the Policy Brief
Read the Brochure (publication forthcoming – October 2020)
An Obstacle from Practice: Paediatric Surgeons and their Qualifications
An example of a legal obstacle concerns the qualifications of paediatric surgeons. Indeed, a crucial aspect of the future center is that the paediatric surgeons concerned will be able to practise their profession in all three countries in which the Centre is located. The Centre also aims to train new paediatric surgeons with a Euregional mindset. Related questions concern the recognition of paediatric surgery as a medical specialty, practice and registration in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine and opportunities for cross-border training in paediatric surgery. Such issues were the subject of previous research conducted by ITEM on behalf of the MUMC+. Read the report.
