Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital
Hadassah Ein Karem HospitalFlash 90

Amidst the backdrop of the collapse of the Children’s Hematology-Oncology Department at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, the Lavi organization revealed that some 70% percent of children treated in the department are not Israelis.

Some of these children are “medical tourists” from other countries, and the rest are residents of the PA.

The details were revealed by the organization from a letter written by Hadassah Hospital CEO Zeev Rothstein to Attorney Eliad Shraga in response to a letter sent by Shraga to the Attorney General regarding the collapse of the children’s hematology-oncology department.

In Rothstein’s letter, it is made clear that, in the year 2016, only 12 Israeli children were treated in the department, compared to 21 children from the PA and 7 additional tourists from around the world. Similar details were found in 2015, when only 15 Israeli children were treated compared to 18 children from the PA and 7 tourists.

The worrying details come within the context of tensions between Hadassah Hospital management and the medical staff in the Children’s Hematology-Oncology Department due to claims by the staff of a lack of required funding and manpower that has led to a deterioration in the quality of treatment.

The crisis has recently become severe to the point that the medical staff has announced a collective resignation, expected to take place next month.