Accessing healthcare

  

    Belgium is known for its quality and accessibility in the healthcare system with multiple government regulations and insurance options. Belgium operates on a wide range of public and private providers, each offering universal coverage to all residents. The main public system operating in Belgium is accessible through mandatory health insurance from non-profit insurance funds, and additional private insurance to access other treatments.

    The national government, Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety, and Environment, regulates the healthcare system in Belgium. It’s responsible for setting the country’s health policy and strategy in which establishes any long-term health objectives. Meanwhile, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance oversees the insurance funds among residents. Finally, general practitioners serve as a primary point of contact for most healthcare needs, in which they act as gatekeepers to specialists and hospital care, providing referrals when needed upon.

    With the universal healthcare system belief, it ensures widespread access to preventive measures, such as vaccinations and health education. Belgium’s healthcare system reflects a balance between traditional and modern values as it tailors more treatment plans among patients.

    While Belgium may have universal healthcare coverage, it is certainly not free. Healthcare is primarily funded by a combination of taxes, social security, insurance fees, and copayments. Belgian patients typically pay about 25-50% of the costs for doctors, hospitals, and clinics, and 80% for prescription costs. Like many countries, Belgium views healthcare as a fundamental right. Likewise, everyone has access to medical care to a certain degree.

    While conventional medicine dominates, there are other alternative healthcare services provided in Belgium. In regions like Flanders, there are common forms of holistic treatments towards chiropractic care, while in Wallonia it leans towards herbal medicine and homeopathy.

    Belgium as we know by now is a culturally diverse nation with several different cultural influences. The local customs and practices surrounding death and dying reflect the nation’s cultural diversity and typically varies depending on the region and religious beliefs of individuals. In general, death is viewed as a natural part of life, and people often celebrate the life of the deceased through traditional funeral practices. Belgian funerals typically involve a mix of religious and secular customs, all depending on the family’s preferences.

    On the other hand, if I had a friend that got offered to work with an NGO (Non-governmental organization) doing healthcare related work in Belgium, there would be certain protocols that they would need to follow to be able to communicate effectively with patients and coworkers. However, in the healthcare contexts, Belgium is quite similar to other neighboring European countries and other western societies, so there wouldn't be too much of a difference when it comes to the actual work and running a healthcare organization.

    Since Belgium is such a multilingual and multicultural country, it is crucial to learn basic phrases to build familiarity with common greetings and phrases to continue to build rapport. It’s also important to build upon active listening and to listen without assumptions to avoid any stereotyping based on nationality and ethnicity. I also think that embracing collaboration opens the door to more teamwork, as Belgian workplaces typically emphasize a lot of collaboration and shared decision-making.

References: 

https://www.expatica.com/be/healthcare/healthcare-basics/the-belgian-healthcare-system-100097/

https://www.expatfocus.com/belgium/guide/belgium-end-of-life-issues