Sadly, it appears that reports that began circulating shortly after the tragic fatal accident in the Ramat Eshkol park on Wednesday night are based in fact. YWN received numerous reports that the paramedic team and physician that was working on 3-year-old Rachel Sofer A”H did not implement advanced life support protocol and the physician called the arrest, pronouncing the young girl dead after about 15 minutes or less of basic life support resuscitation.
Now that the harsh allegations are being made in the media, heard in one forum during an afternoon broadcast by Kol Chai Radio correspondent Bentzi Lazerovitch, that the team never implemented advanced life support efforts, YWN presents the information as well, as additional facts in the case are being substantiated. In a case such as the Ramat Eshkol park, a medical non-traumatic cardiac arrest, there is no valid reason for not giving a three-year-old child [or an adult] the benefit of the doubt and to use all means at the EMS team’s disposal to save a life.
Eyewitnesses report that the paramedics were urging the doctor to implement advanced life support, but he refused.
It appears that the physician in question was suspended from MDA in the past and was taken back. Of course MDA promises an investigation, but for now, the public is angry over the realization that a little girl in Yerushalayim may not have been given the best care that she was entitled to and should have received.
It should be pointed out that the system in Israel is such that the physician, who generally accompanies a paramedic unit, is the ultimate medical authority on the scene of the call.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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12 Responses
If someone can please clarify. I live in NY where Hatzolah is always called. Was Hatzolah called? Are they allowed to do anything if they get there after MDA?
#2 Hatzolah and MDA are basically the same thing. Hatzolah responders are MDA first responders who start care untill the ambulance crew arrives. There is only one emergency # (101), have the same dispatch, are trained by MDA,and work as one completely. The name hatzolah is only for fundraising purposes, when they buy additionalequipment like motorbikes. Plenty of MDA/hatzolah members where on scene, but the doctor, who obviously has top medical authority on scene, refused to continue cpr or perform als intervention.
#1 – as it says, the doctor decides. Hatzolah doesn’t have (many) doctors, by definition.
I might just join them myself, in the future, when I have my medical degree (which I am going to get).
Having one year of medical school and another year, before that, of nursing school behind me, I agree that BLS is not sufficient in this case. Resuscitation should have continued with ALS (PALS, to be correct) at least until getting to a hospital and letting the EP there decide.
To #3,
Being that you are in the medical field like me, you should dan l’caf zecus. Why are you stating definetly that there was no Pals? Wait until the investigation is finished before you jump on the condeming wagon train. Obviously in any arrest it’s preferable to do Als before calling it. BTW, there is no law here (US) or anywhere (EY) that a doctor can’t call a code (even a ped code) in the field. He doesn’t have to wait to get to the ER!
#3 i think you need to re-read the article before you attack someone-else. firstly this isnt the forum to have a medical debate, a 3 year old girl died and its clear that maybe she may have survived given more/better care. Please save your opinion for another forum. try and focus on the family and what they must be going through. We should never know of such tradegy.
sorry i meant #4
To #5,
You hit the nail on the head. Who told you “its clear etc.”? My point is -don’t believe everything you read. Maybe she got proper care. The other week YWN did this with an arrest at an old age home, but later in a small article they recanted. Motzay shem ra and loson horah apply to things you read also. Just be dan this doctor l’caf zecus!
Being a friend of the family, I am OUTRAGED at this report. What difference does this make? A little rachmanus on the family. I am sure they are already thinking what if….Why make it harder on them?? This is so disgusting and especially during the nine days. This report has NO toeles AT ALL!! I am embarassed to be a part of klal yisrael right now. In general this website is disgusting and shows how low we have sunk. Great job-let’s keep giving Hashem reasons to make more tragedies!
#7, no-one can say what the outcome of the investigation will find. Just the fact that there is an investigation really upsets me. It’s not like he was the only dr working on her, there were plenty of medical personals at the scene who agreed that he may have called it off too soon. I just know that being a mother myself, that g-d forbid that was my child I would expect everything, and I mean EVERYTHING to be tried in order to save my child.
To BZB,
Why do you believe the article? Also, you didn’t even read the article -he was the only Doc there, the rest are CFR’s, EMT’s & EMT-P’s. You should be dan this Doc l’caf zecus. Your comment that you would expect everything to be done to save your child -Firstly, who wouldn’t? Secondly,
who says they didn’t try everything? People are easily conned to believe something if it plays on their emotions. Use your intelligence, not your emotions to assess a situation. Remember, it’s the 9 days!
MAybe the docrtor saw that she was brain dead and to keep her alive would just be torture on the child and the family. It is not always the best interest to bring a patient back to life to live a life of pain and suffering for the family and patient. We, leider, have been there…..
#2 – false – MDA and Hatzoloh are not the same and don’t let anyone tell you that. Haven’t you heard about the issues between Hatzoloh and MDA? http://tiny.cc/VOQxj It’s true that Hatzoloh members are first responders and work with MDA teams , are trained by MDA because they are the only one with permission to train (I wish that monopoly would end) – but thats where it ends. Hatzoloh and MDA are not linked financially. Hatzoloh provides equipment and many other things to their first responders