The Sint-Franciscusziekenhuis (
Dutch/
Flemish
Flemish may refer to:
* Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium
* Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium
*Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium
* Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...
for ''Saint Francis hospital'') is a hospital located in the municipality of
Heusden-Zolder
Heusden-Zolder (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian Limburg (Belgium), province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total area is 53.23 ...
in the province of
Limburg,
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
, Belgium.
History
The Saint-Francis Hospital was founded by the congregation of the from
Zoutleeuw
Zoutleeuw (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality and City status in Belgium, city in the Hageland, in the extreme east of the Belgium, Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. On 1 January 2018 the municipality had 8,498 inhabitants. The t ...
on 20 October 1925 when the head of the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
order in
Heusden-Zolder
Heusden-Zolder (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian Limburg (Belgium), province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total area is 53.23 ...
asked for a hospital for the local miners. This is how the hospital got its name.
The construction of the hospital started in 1927 and in that same year, the hospital was able to take care of 30 people. An
operating room
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
, a
pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...
and a washhouse were added in 1928. In 1932, a room for radiodiagnosis was added. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, in 1941, the hospital was extended with another hall that could fit 30 patients, as well as a delivery room. A
maternity
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gestatio ...
department was added in 1952 and in 1957, an
internal medicine
Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from "treatment of diseases of ...
department was added. Finally, the hospital was extended with a
pediatrics
Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, Adolescence, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many o ...
department. After these works, however, renovations and more specialised medical departments were needed in the hospital.
On 19 December 1973, (
Belgian Minister of Public Health, Family and Environment) agreed on the hospital's proposal of its extension with another 84 beds. However, problems with the bad condition of the building due to mineshaft cave-ins underneath the hospital obstructed these works. On 20 May 1975, agreed on new terms to replace the old building with a new one with 224 beds. Because of the
Royal Assent
Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...
(
French: ''sanction royale'') of 1 July 1982 that the number of beds could not be higher than 150, a new hospital with this smaller number of beds was built. It first opened on 25 September 1985.
After the fusion with the Saint-Anna Hospital of
Beringen (
Dutch/
Flemish
Flemish may refer to:
* Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium
* Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium
*Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium
* Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...
: ''Sint-Annakliniek'') in 1990, the hospital had 230 beds. On 1 October 1993, the hospital opened the first department for day hospitalisation.
In 2005, large parts of the hospital were renovated and restructured. In 2008, the hospital started with the building of new departments and specialized areas, such as a
geriatrics
Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on addressing the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατρός ''iatros'' mean ...
department and two new
operating rooms, and with the renovation of older parts of the hospital buildings. These works lasted until 2011. On 1 July 2009, the hospital had 244 beds available for all kinds of patients.
Failed merger
In January 2001, the Saint-Francis Hospital of
Heusden-Zolder
Heusden-Zolder (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian Limburg (Belgium), province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total area is 53.23 ...
and the hospitals
AZ Salvator-Saint-Ursula with campuses in Hasselt and Herk-de-Stad announced that they had concluded a merger agreement and would henceforth be called the Christian General Hospital Mid-Limburg (Dutch: ''Christelijk Algemeen Ziekenhuis Midden-Limburg'' or ''C.A.Z. Midden-Limburg''). According to then chairman Karel Peeters, the C.A.Z. Midden-Limburg would become the second largest hospital in the province of Limburg in 2001. With the merger, the capacity would be over 663 beds, 1,200 employees and 160 physician-specialists. Later, in 2009, the merger with the Saint-Francis Hospital was dissolved.
Hospital network
The Saint-Francis Hospital is part of the hospital network Andreaz, formerly known as the hospital network South-West Limburg (Dutch: ''Ziekenhuisnetwerk Zuid-West Limburg''), together with the
Jessa Hospital in
Hasselt
Hasselt (, , ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium.
As of 1 August 2023, Hasselt had a total population of 80,846. The old ...
, the Sint-Trudo Hospital in
Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. With more than 41,500 inhabitants, it is on ...
, and the AZ Vesalius in
Tongeren
Tongeren (; ; ; ) is a city and former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the only Roman administrative capital wit ...
. The hospital network covers a population of 530.000 people in the province of Limburg.
See also
*
List of hospitals in Belgium
*
Healthcare in Belgium
Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivere ...
References
External links
SFZ Official Website
{{coord, 51.047, 5.3153, region:BE_type:landmark, display=title
Hospitals in Belgium
Buildings and structures in Limburg (Belgium)
Heusden-Zolder