Health: General Practitioners and Dentists
GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, DENTISTS, PREGNANCY OR EMERGENCY. HOW CAN YOU GO TO A GENERAL PRACTITIONER OR DENTIST?
Before you can go to a general practitioner or a dentist, you must first register. Contact the general practitioner or dentist of your choice and ask if they have availability.
If you have found a general practitioner or a dentist, you can make an appointment by phone or online.
Always bring your identity card with you.
You can usually pay in cash and by bank card.
When you receive prescribed medication (a prescription on paper or via your identity card) you can collect your medication at a pharmacy. You will also receive a referral to a specialist via a prescription from your general practitioner.
Ask your general practitioner or dentist for a doctor's certificate if you have an appointment during work or school hours. Then your absence is justified.
Do you live in Genk, As, Opglabbeek, or Zutendaal? Then you can go to the new GP out-of-hours service at the Synaps Park at ZOL (East Limburg Hospital).
The out-of-hours service is open on weekdays from 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM.
East Limburg Hospital │ Sint-Jan Campus The hospital
In Genk, you have the Hospital East Limburg (ZOL).
Appointments can be made both by phone and online:
By phone at the number: 089/32 50 50
Online: via mijnzol.be (for certain services).
Address: Campus Sint-Jan, 3600 Genk │ Synaps Park 1
What can you go to the hospital for?
In Genk, you can go to the hospital for urgent and planned medical care. It is important that you know when to go to the hospital, what to bring, and what happens during an admission.
You can go to the hospital for:
Emergencies (see above)
Examinations (e.g. blood tests, pregnancy follow-up, ...)
Operations
Care for serious illnesses (e.g. cancer treatments, heart problems, diabetes, ...)
URGENT
For serious, acute medical help, you can go to the hospital emergency department. The emergency department is for people who urgently need medical help.
You can go there day and night, 7 days a week.
Only go to the emergency room if it is truly urgent.
Always call 112 in an emergency.
Do you have an emergency or work accident?
Go to the emergency room (see map)
Or call the emergency number 112 for an ambulance.
What should you bring?
If you have to go to the hospital, bring the following:
Your identity card (eID or Kids-ID).
A list of medications you are taking or are allergic to.
If applicable, a referral letter from your general practitioner.
For a planned admission, you usually receive a letter with instructions from the hospital in advance. Make sure to read it carefully!
The emergency departments are open 24/7 and assist with life-threatening or serious situations!
Are you pregnant?
Are you expecting a baby? Then you can go to the hospital for:
Check-ups during pregnancy
Ultrasounds and medical examinations
The delivery
Possible medical care after birth
Make an appointment with the gynecologist during the first weeks of your pregnancy. Waiting times can sometimes be very long.
Attention: Arrange your health insurance on time, otherwise the costs can be very high. The waiting period to be enrolled for hospitalization insurance is three months, so be sure to sign up in time!
More information about pregnancy can be found on the Campus O³ website.
Are you unexpectedly pregnant?
If you are faced with an unexpected pregnancy, it is important not to keep it to yourself. You can talk about it with someone you trust: a friend, family member, or caregiver. Together you can calmly consider the options in your situation.
Is the pregnancy unwanted? In that case, you have several options:
Carrying the pregnancy to term and keeping your baby.
Having your pregnancy terminated. The nearest abortion center is located in Hasselt.
If you want to talk to someone to share your feelings or to make a better informed decision, you can always contact a family support worker from Kind en Gezin.
As an employee in paid employment with an employer
If you are an employee in paid employment, are affiliated with a health insurance fund, and meet the conditions, you are entitled to reimbursement of medical expenses.
As a self-employed person
Are you not an employee but self-employed? Then you must be affiliated with a health insurance fund and a social insurance fund. Your health insurance fund will check whether you have paid your social contributions for the past 2 years in order to qualify for reimbursement of medical expenses.
Even if you are not working, in many cases you may be entitled to reimbursement of medical care if you are affiliated with a health insurance fund or mutual insurance. This also applies if you are unemployed or retired. It is important, however, that you are in good standing with your health insurance fund and pay a monthly contribution for this. Your health insurance fund will, in certain situations, check whether you have paid your social contributions for the past 2 years and whether you have accumulated sufficient medical rights to be eligible for reimbursement of medical costs.
Dependent on your partner
If you are dependent on your partner, you are also entitled to reimbursement of medical costs, provided that your partner is affiliated with a health insurance fund, has accumulated the necessary medical rights, and that you are officially registered as a dependent person with the health insurance fund.
If one of you has no or a limited income, the health insurance fund can register the partner with the lower income as a 'dependent person' of the partner with the higher income. You then have the right to the same reimbursement as your partner.