The body that oversees both linguistic communities in Brussels – COCOM – is launching a campaign to encourage residents in the capital to make contact with a general practitioner if they have not already done so.
The bilingual body felt compelled to raise awareness among those living in Brussels of the benefits that come with having a GP after a study by the Intermutualist Agency (AIM-MIA) showed that only 64% of the city's residents had a GP in 2020.
Their study also showed that 30% of the capital’s residents had not been in contact with a GP, while 76% of Walloons had their medical files managed by a GP, with an ever higher figure of 86% in Flanders.
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COCOM attributed these regional disparities to the capital’s demographic particularities. For instance, many foreign workers residing in Brussels face language barriers, while also lack a general understanding about the medical system. Moreover, patients in Brussels often call upon specialists to treat their health issues.
As a result, COCOM kickstarted its campaign on social media and billboards across the capital, reminding patients of the benefits of a GP, such as long-term follow-ups from a doctor that knows them, as well as centralising their medical data.
