It might not be obvious to everyone, but in the center of Ghent, between Sint-Margrietstraat and Rodelijvekensstraat, an entire neighborhood is practically a world unto itself. Several hundred seniors live there in a residential care center or assisted living apartment. They shop there, go to the hairdresser, the podiatrist, the optician... All these facilities are part of the non-profit organization Domino .
That name might not ring a bell for many, but the old name undoubtedly still rings a bell: the Volkskliniek (People's Clinic). This clinic has roots dating back to 1886. From that time on, the Ghent socialist mutual health insurance fund Bond Moyson (now Solidaris ) provided free doctor visits and medication to its members. For minor procedures, workers could go to a modest operating room that was set up in the Bond Moyson premises around the turn of the century. From that room grew the Volkskliniek, a fully developed outpatient clinic that opened its doors in Sint-Margrietstraat in 1928.
A typical example of the socialist outpatient clinics that sprang up in all industrial centres of Flanders and Wallonia during the interwar period.
Paule Verbruggen previously published about the Volkskliniek, as a contribution to the 1998 book " There is life before death: 200 years of healthcare in Flanders ." This current contribution is a significantly expanded version of this, and reveals many new aspects of the clinic's rich history.
From Public Clinic to Domino
Ghent, Domino/Amsab-ISG, 2023, 152 p., illustrations, ISBN 9789464330250.
The book is not for sale, but anyone interested in a copy or the text of the contribution can always contact Amsab-ISG via
