100, 101, 112, 1722 or 1733? What’s your number?
Belgium has just introduced a new emergency number 1733. This is for people who need a GP at night and during the weekends and official holidays. But aren’t all these numbers confusing and what should they be used for?
Dial 100 for an ambulance or the fire service.
101 will connect you to the police in the event you require urgent help with an accident with people who are injured, if you see something suspicious or witness a break-in.
112 is the European emergency number. It takes you to the 100-call centre of your province that can dispatch the police, the fire service or a medical team. In time 112 will replace 100 and 101.
1722 is for non-urgent emergencies, e.g. if you need the fire service but nobody’s life is in danger. This number is only activated in the event of extreme weather. It is intended to ease pressure on numbers 100; 101 and 112 that should be used for real emergencies.
1733 is the new number to find a GP out of hours. At present 1733 is only available in a limited number of municipalities, but the system will be rolled out across Belgium next year.
Other useful numbers to keep handy include:
If you smell gas, call 0800 65 0 65 or in Brussels 0800 19 400.
Has your passport or ID been stolen, call Doc Stop on 00800 2123 2123.
Call Card Stop on 070 344 344 if your bankcard has been stolen or to block payment apps.
070 245 245 is the number if you fear somebody has been poisoned.
0800 96 333 is the number of the diabetes helpline, while to get through to Flemish information line ring 1700.
If you need to find a chemist that is open out of hours, call 0903 99 000, while to get through to a dentist urgently out of hours try 0903 39 969.