An 18-month-old boy returned from Uman with his parents, a Breslov family that lives in the Galil area. The baby took ill upon the family’s return to Israel. He was taken to the doctor who instructed the parents to rush him to the emergency room where he was pronounced dead.

According to preliminary reports, the child took ill upon their return and he was sick for five days, with his condition deteriorating until taken to a doctor. The physician realized the seriousness of the child’s condition and instructed the parents to rush to an emergency room. The parents headed to the emergency room of Ziff Hospital in Tzfas in a private vehicle and the boy was niftar enroute. He arrived in the emergency room in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead following CPR and resuscitation efforts.

According to the Ynet report, the parents explain the child took ill upon their return to Israel but they only took him to Kupat Cholim after five days of being ill. It has been learned the child was only checked by a physician once since birth, has not received vaccinations and was not monitored regularly by the medical system including visits to well-care baby clinics run by HMOs.

An investigation is underway as many questions need to be answered. The Health Ministry has ordered prophylactic antibiotic treatment for the parents against meningitis.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)