Médibus gives mobile support to Brussels' most vulnerable

A touring ambulance that provides social and medical assistance to Brussels' most vulnerable residents has helped 50,000 people, as the service celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

The Médibus launched in 2015 and is run by international non-governmental organisation Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World).

The bus visits vulnerable people – including drug users, sex workers and the homeless – to provide them with material, social and medical help, thanks to a group of 18 volunteers including eight nurses.

As well as this aid, some patients are referred to Médecins du Monde’s Brussels care and orientation centre. There the patient receives a more thorough examination, as well as social and psychological assistance.

Médecins du Monde describes the Médibus as “a versatile anchor point for those who live on the fringes of Brussels society”.

“With every round of consultations, people get on our bus – a painful result of the growing inequality and poverty in our capital,” said Lily Caldwell, mobile team manager.

The Médibus drives to squats, tents, stations, metro entrances and other places on the street. Last year, the bus ran four times a week to hotspots such as Brussels-Midi station, Porte de Hal, the Ribaucourt district and Place Flagey.

During Médibus’s 35 circuits of the city last year, more than 7,000 people passed by – 140% more than in 2023.

The volunteer paramedical teams also carried out more than 6,000 consultations with Brussels residents suffering from poverty, the homeless, drug users, sex workers and undocumented migrants.

As well as consultations, people in difficulty can be screened for infectious diseases such as HIV or hepatitis C, or receive injections or inhalation equipment if they use drugs.

Material help is also available, such as contraceptives, and hygiene (for example, razors and soap), incontinence and menstrual kits. In addition, the social workers offer support with questions about housing, homeless shelters, clothing and food.

“We don’t just hand out a leaflet, we take the time to understand people’s needs and respond to them. We give them maps, transport tickets and referral letters, for example to a care centre or specialist,” Caldwell said, adding that as all regions of the world, and most major world languages, are represented by the team, communication is easier.

Visitors to the Médibus struggle with access to care due to a lack of resources or health insurance. The Médibus is mainly visited by men (93%), with an average age of 40 years. There has also been a sharp increase in unaccompanied minors since 2020.

The main health issues are due to poor living environments and include skin conditions (19.1%), musculoskeletal problems (16.1%) and psychological disorders (12.9%).

“These are people whose links with the traditional healthcare system have been severed by exclusion, poverty, illness, refusal of care or administrative or financial problems. Our Médibus consultation is often a starting point for referring them to our care centres and, ultimately, to the regular healthcare system,” Caldwell added.

According to a survey carried out at Médibus in 2024, 80% of people using the Médibus have no roof over their heads - or only occasionally.

“In recent years, this group of people has been coming to us more and more often to ask us to help them find somewhere to sleep," Caldwell said. "Homeless hostels are chronically overcrowded and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a place to sleep.

"This is due to a lack of sufficient and sustainable accommodation, but also to the Belgian government, which, for more than three years, has not welcomed people seeking international protection found on the streets or in homeless shelters."

In Brussels, one in four people live in poverty, and the capital is the place where rents are the most expensive. The 10% of people on the lowest incomes spend more than 45% of their salary on housing.

Médecins du Monde also runs the Médibus project in Wallonia: since 2012 in La Louvière and since 2017 in Charleroi and the surrounding area.