Hospitals

Brussels offers a wide choice of public and private hospitals, university hospitals and polyclinics. Public and private hospitals (some of which with university status) operate with teams of medical specialists from different disciplines. Some specialists are based full-time at the hospital, while others also run a private practice.

Patients who opt for a shared hospital ward pay a set tariff for the room and treatment. The costs are almost completely reimbursed. But patients who opt for a single room, will have to pay extra charges for the room. In this case the doctor can set his own fee for treatment. Patients have the right to ask for a breakdown of extra charges in advance.

In the event of hospitalisation, the patient has to pay a guarantee on admission as well as proof of membership of a 'mutualité' (the SIS card). In most hospitals a parent is allowed to spend the night in their child’s room.

Many of the larger hospitals and clinics have emergency services providing medical care and advice at any time of the day or night and on weekends and public holidays. In Belgium you can call an ambulance using the emergency number 100. You can also use the European emergency number 112, which applies in all countries of the European Union. 

For a list of the Brussels hospitals with emergency service linked to the number 100, click here. For a complete overview of all Brussels and Belgian hospitals, visit  www.hospitals.be