The Belgian legislation stipulates that opinions on your state of health must be provided by an objective and neutral medical body.

All medical practitioners who work with the OML/GGD carry out their tasks in complete independence.

 

What shall the oml/Ggd's medical expertise examine ?

The OML/GGD’s medical expert examines your physical and/or psychological injuries. He/She verifies the origin of the injuries and whether they are actually linked to the facts set out in the application. In accordance with the legislation, he/she uses the Official Belgian Disabilities Scale (Barème officiel belge des Invalidités or BOBI) to set a rate and duration of disability. The OML/GGD also issues a medical opinion regarding the possible granting of special compensation for the assistance of a third party.

 

invitation

The OML/GGD will invite you to undergo a medical examination by a medical expert. Examinations in English take place in Ghent.

As far as possible, the OML/GGD shall organise the examination within 3 months of receipt of the request. You receive a letter from the OML/GGD in which the practical arrangements for making an appointment are detailed.  

If you are unable to show up at the expected time, please contact the OML/GGD as soon as possible to schedule a new appointment.

Please note that if you are absent for two invitations without presenting a valid reason, your file will be returned to the requesting department without medical advice.

 

How much does the medical examination cost ?

The examination by the OML/GGD is free of charge, even if the OML/GGD’s medical expert asks for additional specialist examinations.

However, medical examinations requested by you to justify your request are not covered by Medex!

 

on the day of the examination

On the day of your examination you must bring

  • your identity card,
  • the invitation to the exam, and
  • a copy of the useful medical reports not attached to the initial application.

You are allowed to be accompanied by a physician. Note: this is in no way a so-called contradictory medical exam (“expertise contradictoire”) as no amicable agreement must be found between the OML/GGD’s medical expert and the physician who accompanies you. However, the OML/GGD’s medical expert must, in his/her conclusions, take into consideration the arguments put forward by your physician. If the latter cannot assist you on the day of the examination, he/she can send (by e-mail or post, through you,...) a reasoned medical report to the Medex medical centre which is mentioned on your invitation, at the latest on the day of the medical examination.

A lawyer and/or other non-medical advisor may also attend the interview with the OML/GGD’s medical expert, but not the medical examination itself for medical confidentiality purposes. He/She also has the possibility of filing a note for the OML/GGD’s medical expert. The arrangements for submitting this note remain the same.

 

medical opinion

Under no circumstances may the OML/GGD’s medical expert directly provide you with the opinion he/she intends to give in the expert opinion protocol.

He/She has one month to draft his/her conclusions and send his/her reasoned medical opinion to the Medical Quality Department of the OML/GGD. If the OML/GGD’s medical expert asks for additional specialist examinations, the one-month period of time can be extended.

The role of the Medical Quality Department is to check whether the mission has been carried out completely and correctly before approving the opinion of the medical expert of the OML/GGD.

The opinion is then sent to the requesting department (i.e. the Civilian Victims of War and Terrorism Unit of the Federal Pensions Service (SFPD)) and you will receive a copy by post or e-mail, depending on your preferences.  

If you wish to obtain additional information to better understand the medical opinion of the OML/GGD, please consult your GP.

The average period for delivering an opinion is 6 months from receipt of the request by the OML/GGD.

 

moving to the medical center 

  • If you travel by train and you inform us sufficiently in advance, you will receive a form (“réquisitoire”) you have to fill in to travel with the Belgian national railway company (SNCB/NMBS).
  • If you are having significant difficulty getting around, you can have yourself examined at home or at the facility where you are staying. However, an application must be submitted for this purpose to the Medex medical centre that convened you. Include a medical certificate with your application.  
  • If our medical expert considers that you must be examined by an authorised medical specialist and if you are not domiciled in the same city as the specialist's office, you will receive a form (“réquisitoire”) to fill in for travelling with the SNCB/NMBS.

Contact information

Tour du Midi/Zuidertoren, 22nd Floor  -  1060 Brussels
02/558 60 15

 

  • For further information about the medical examination, please contact Medex
02/524 91 91 (Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 12 a.m. and from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.)