Genk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Genk ZOL staff faced 305 aggression cases in 2025. New framework with CARMA, LaMa, Maasland police, Limburg Prosecutor, led by Tom Arts, ensures faster reporting, police follow-up, and staff protection.
As VRT News reported, healthcare workers in East Limburg face a growing number of aggressive incidents from patients and visitors. Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (ZOL) has teamed up with the CARMA, LaMa, and Maasland police districts and the Limburg Public Prosecutor’s Office to tackle the problem.
They have introduced a new framework to handle cases faster. By the end of 2025, Genk ZOL reported 305 incidents of aggression, including verbal abuse and physical threats. Emergency doctor Pieter Jan Van Asbrock and head nurse Johan De Houwer say staff see the increase every day.
“It’s heartbreaking. We’re here to help people, that’s all we want to do.”
Johan De Hower, head nurse for emergencies at ZOL
“Especially in recent years, we’ve noticed a clear increase,”
says Van Asbrock.
“A lot of verbal abuse, but we’re also sometimes physically attacked. Our isolation room was destroyed a few weeks ago. In another incident, a colleague who was six months pregnant was punched in the stomach.”
“It’s heartbreaking,”
says De Houwer.
“We’re here to help people; that’s all we want to do. It’s already a difficult job, but if the aggression towards our staff continues to rise, it will only get worse.”
What is causing ZOL staff in Genk to face 305 aggression cases in 2025?
A new framework has been launched to make it easier for hospital staff to report aggression.
“Reporting used to be a barrier,”
says Tom Arts, Chairman of the ZOL Board of Directors.
“You had to provide your own name and address, so the person with whom the incident occurred could potentially contact you.”
“Now you can do this anonymously, using the hospital’s name and address,”
Arts explains.
“The administrative process will also be much simpler. This way, we want to make it easier for our healthcare providers.”
Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (ZOL) has joined with local police authorities to remove obstacles that previously made reporting difficult. Tom Arts, chairman of the ZOL Board of Directors, says that “reporting used to be a barrier” for staff who faced verbal or physical abuse.
Officials mentioned that under the new system, incidents that do not need immediate police action can now be reported directly and securely to the correct police station. In urgent cases, intervention teams are ready to respond quickly.
Ronin Cox, chief of police for the Lanaken-Maasmechelen police zone, says the protocol gives clear guidance to both hospital staff and police.
“It concerns assistance and information sharing. Due to new privacy regulations, this was sometimes unclear before, for example, in the case of missing persons. Now everyone knows what information can be shared and when.”
He mentioned that it ensures that all campuses handle incidents in the same way. The system allows for faster sharing of information, proper documentation, and consistent follow-up on every report. Authorities emphasise that the framework sends a strong warning: aggression against healthcare workers will not be tolerated.
Violence against healthcare workers in Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg is growing. In 2020, there were 46 total reports of aggression against staff, and by 2024, this number had jumped to 240 instances.
Last year brought an even greater amount, with 305 total reports of Aggression against Employees, representing the highest total for the last several years. Of these 305 instances, there were 99 instances involving physical Aggression; 87 instances of a combination of Verbal and Physical Violence; and 118 instances of only Verbal Aggression and included threatening remarks and insults.
