Saint-Luc is one of world’s best hospitals, says Newsweek

Three hospitals in Belgium have made Newsweek’s list of the best 200 general hospitals in the world. Saint-Luc University Hospital in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is one of them.

The World’s Best Hospital ranking lists the best hospitals in 25 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia. The countries were mainly selected based on standard of living, life expectancy, population size, number of hospitals and availability of data.

The list is based on recommendations from medical experts, results from patient surveys and health care metrics. Hospitals are ranked from 1 to 100 and after that they are not ranked, simply listed as 101-200.

Saint-Luc falls into that latter category as does Ghent University Hospital. Neither of them did as well, however, as Leuven University Hospital, which came in 31st on the list.

UZ Leuven is the best hospital in Belgium  ©Luc Claessen/BELGA

Newsweek also ranked hospitals within the 25 countries, with Leuven coming in first in Belgium. UZ Gent came in second and Saint-Luc third. Rounding out the top five are Antwerp University Hospital and Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hospital in Aalst. Another Brussels hospital is on the top 10 for Belgium, with ULB Hôpital Erasme coming in sixth.

Specialised hospitals – such as cancer clinics and trauma centres – were ranked separately, as they differ in their offer from general hospitals. This list was sorted alphabetically because hospitals with different specialties are not comparable. Of the more than 160 hospitals on the list, one is in Belgium: The Queen Paola Children’s Hospital in Antwerp.

The best general hospital in the world, by the way, is the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Four of the top five hospitals are in the United States.

Photo top: Staff at Saint-Luc  
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