Brussels hospitals face lawsuits over lack of Dutch-language care
The Flemish nationalist Vlaamse Volksbeweging (VVB) has launched seven legal proceedings against Brussels hospitals it claims are failing to comply with language laws. "Dutch-speaking patients cannot be helped in Dutch, and it leads to tragedies," said VVB president Michael Discart.
The Vlaamse Volksbeweging ('Flemish People's Movement') is a Flemish nationalist organisation that campaigns for an independent Flanders. In its latest action, members of the movement recently visited several hospitals in Brussels, including Delta Chirec, Saint-Luc, UZ Brussels, Saint-Pierre and Erasmus.
As the Brussels Capital Region has two official languages, the hospitals are required by law to offer services in both French and Dutch. But according to the VVB, this is not always the case. That is why the organisation has launched seven legal proceedings against hospitals that do not offer care in Dutch. As the cases are still pending, the organisation declined to say which hospitals are involved.
The VVB says it does not want to “publicly shame” hospitals, it only intends to push for solutions. “This has been going on for 50 years and it is only getting worse,” Discart said. “A patient arrives at the emergency department and none of the nurses speak Dutch. Or a woman on her deathbed wants to talk to her children, but the staff do not understand her. The stories we hear are all tragic.”
UZ Brussels leads by example
According to the VVB, the UZ Brussels is an example of good practice. Staff there wear colour badges indicating the languages they speak, and the hospital employs a language coach. “That shows it is possible to address this issue,” Discart said. “But there has to be the will to do it.”
In addition to the seven court cases, the organisation has filed four complaints with Belgium's Permanent Commission for Language Supervision. One of those complaints has already been declared admissible and well-founded. It is also preparing a “Black Book” compiling examples of language problems in Brussels hospitals and suggesting measures for improvement.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO PAUL-HENRI VERLOOY
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