Police on Tuesday night 6 Kislev arrested Halal Azaiza, 26, from Dabburiya Village in the Lower Galil for allegedly posing as a doctor and performing surgical procedures on over 300 patients to came to the Tel Hashomer emergency room.

Investigators learned that in the past, the suspect worked as a nursing student in a hospital and he was dismissed a few months ago. He returned and entered the emergency room and began treating patients, presenting himself as a doctor under an alias.

From a police perspective, he impersonated a public employee, fraud, forgery, and deliberately impersonating a physician. Police received statements from many patients as well as members of the hospital staff.

It remains unclear at this time if the allegations are correct and if so, how he managed to treat so many patients without the hospital noticing someone who is not a member of the staff making rounds and treating so many patients.

The Tel Aviv Magistrate Court has extended his detention until Sunday, 11 Kislev. The suspects attorney explains he is a young man without a criminal record. Attorney Merav Ben-Shabbat of the Public Defender’s Office added “He was a student in a hospital and never received a letter dismissal him. He did not claim to be an employee, but one who came on a volunteer basis, has spoken to medical officials and everything was done with appropriate medical supervision.

He did not perform surgical procedures but rather simple procedures including taking blood from patients”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)