Accidents and Emergencies in Belgium
Accidents and emergencies are unpredictable and can be scary to handle in a country away from home. This article shows you important numbers to remember and how the emergency room works in Belgium.
Numbers to remember
While in Belgium, there are 3 important numbers you should remember. They are:
- 100 or 112: Medical emergency line
- 100 or 112: fire emergency line
- 101: police line
112 is a number you can use all across Europe for emergency situations. Also, don't worry about speaking Dutch, French, or German while calling the above numbers. Emergency dispatchers are trained to understand and speak in English.
Medical emergencies
If you have a medical emergency, dial 100 or 112 and tell the dispatcher where you are and what you need help with. If they determine that you need immediate medical care, they'll send you an ambulance, which is reimbursed by your private health insurance policy. Otherwise, they'll ask you to get a referral from a doctor before they allocate an ambulance to you.
Like with many other western countries, Belgian hospitals have an accident and emergency (A&E) department. It's called spoedeisende hulp in Dutch and les urgences in French. While in some countries, you can go to the A&E for minor issues, this is frowned upon in Belgium. You should only use it for actual urgent care needs.
For minor yet urgent medical problems, you should contact a doctor; preferably, your chosen GP. Otherwise, you can call 1307 for an emergency doctor. And if you need a pharmacy, dial either 09 001 0500 or 07 066 0160.
Crimes
As mentioned earlier, the emergency line for the police is 100 or 112. The dispatchers can take your call immediately and send the police to your location.
If your issue doesn't need to be resolved immediately, you can also report crimes online. Do note that while overall, the site has English, you can only report crimes in Dutch, French, or German. You can also check out where your local police force is by entering your zip code on the federal police website.
Fire services
The fire emergency line is also 100 or 112. You can call this number for fire services (also known as pompiers in French) if you have a threatening fire, flood, blocked road, or any other natural disaster.
However, for non-emergency help during a storm, you should dial 1722 instead. And if you have a non-urgent fire situation, you should refer to your local emergency rescue zone, of which there are 34.
What to do in a road accident
If you're driving and are involved in an accident, you must pull over to the side, turn on your hazard lights, put on your reflective jacket, and put the warning triangle behind your car (30 meters).
You should then exchange important details with all other drivers involved, such as:
- Full name
- Address
- License and registration
- Insurance
Take pictures and videos of the entire scene, including the damage to the cars and road.
Everyone must also fill in an accident report form (europees aanrijdingsformulier in Dutch and constat amiable d'accident in French).
If this is a serious accident, after you've pulled over safely (if possible), you should dial 100 or 112 for medical help.
