Shas leader Aryeh Deri has come out in support of the doctors at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital as they continue working on a limited Shabbos schedule.
Speaking to Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) on Monday, 10 Adar I 5774, Deri explained that we cannot expect senior surgeons not to seek private operations and seeking to eliminate their right to see patients privately in addition to the HMO (Kupat Cholim) plans will result in the loss of the senior doctors. Deri stated Hadassah in vital to the capital, adding that if Yaakov Litzman was still minister of health, this crisis would not be taking place for he would have taken the appropriate action to head it off.
Deri’s remarks came as doctors and nurses at Hadassah announced a general open-ended strike in lieu of the dire fiscal situation.
Deri arrived at the hospital to join the doctors in a showing of solidarity, and he brought a number of notables with him including MK (Likud) Reuven Rivlin, MK (Bayit Yehudi) Yoni Chetboun, MK (Yahadut Hatorah (Yaakov Litzman), MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Yisrael Eichler, MK (Shas) Yaakov Margi, Gush Etzion Regional Council head Davidi Pearl, Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul, Betar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein, Maale Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel, Mevasseret Tzion Mayor Yoram Shimon, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Tzvika Cohen and Alian Mahmud, the muchtar of the Arab village Beit Tzefafa.
Deri told Galei Tzahal the capital cannot afford to lose Hadassah, referring to the public and private service, warning if the medical center closes it will spell horror for Jerusalemites. He added Hadassah is not just a hospital, but a teaching facility and it brings the best modern medicine has to offer, seemingly incapable of understanding why appropriate government agencies are not placing the urgent matter high on their agendas.
Litzman, a former health minister, added “Don’t believe [Finance Minister Yair] Lapid that he does not have the money for he has already proven to us all he hasn’t a clue regarding the national deficit and as to what and what is not essential to the people”.
Rivlin added that as one who was born in Yerushalayim he can testify to the important role Hadassah has played over the years and the need for this quality medical facility in the future.
MK Eichler added “I stand here like the first time when I was a child because of grandfather. The State of Tel Aviv believes that Jerusalem is a province but at least Hadassah recognizes our pride, and I think Hadassah in the largest hospital in the entire country and when there are serious problems, Hadassah in the solution. The treasury is trying to save money and hurts everyone. He is getting richer and the citizens are becoming more impoverished.”
Health Ministry Prof. Roni Gamzu attacks the administration of Hadassah for not properly handling the medical center’s dealings as well as private services for patients, warning this could spread to other hospitals in the country too. He added that speaking personally, he feels that Hadassah should be a government hospital but that is the decision of the government, not the ministry. “I came to Hadassah two years ago when we first became aware of the fiscal problem. They told me to mind my business for it is a private hospital. When they want to be private that are and when they are in trouble the government is supposed to bail them out. They put a stone wall in my face when I wanted to help. They cannot have it both ways. Now they want us to bail them out for 1.3 billion NIS” concluded Gamzu.
Prof. Avi Rivkind, Chief of Emergency & Trauma Medicine at Hadassah spoke with Israel Radio too, responding to Prof. Gamzu’s comments in an angry tone. Rivkind explained he went to Hadassah Medical School, was trained there and has been there throughout the years and “as a result of my training, we have saved many lives”. It should be pointed out that Prof. Rivkind is an internationally acclaimed traumatologist, viewed by most as the leading traumatologist in Israel today. His trauma team was credited with working miracles with many victims of Arab terrorism during the so-called intifadas and specialists from around the world continue coming to Israel to observe the techniques used by his experts.
“Hadassah Women over the years have given billions to the state and now, yes, there is a situation but let’s keep things in proportion. Now he wants to confiscate it and make it a public hospital. What is he talking about? He is clueless. It is not his to take, but it belongs to Hadassah and Hadassah Women who build the medical center. I cannot believe how he speaks, he profound lack of knowledge, his tone and ignorance. This is not how people of this caliber should be speaking…”
Rivkind added the overwhelming number of professionals in the hospital receives a salary commensurate with their job and training and the few who have exceeded acceptable norms will be addressed. He rejects efforts to portray all the employees of the medical center as living high off the land when this is simply not true.
President Peres is calling on the sides to sit and negotiate around the clock until an agreement is reached.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: JDN)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
A 1.3B crisis isn’t something of today or yesterday, this has been in the making for multiple years including Litzmans’ term, IIRC Litzman was still serving when we lost Bikur Cholim.
(There’s Madoff, the new building that they only funded building but not upeep & maintenance when they got donors to name just a few failures without going into the wages and potential HR mismanagement)