A well-known psychiatrist made crass and offensive remarks toward survivors of the Nova festival who appeared before medical committees of the National Insurance Institute at which he was present, Kan Reshet Bet reported on Wednesday.
The remarks were made during hearings regarding the survivors' medical and mental conditions.
Among other remarks, the psychiatrist told one female survivor: "You're probably on drugs, I know you guys from Nova." In another incident, he commented to the survivors, "You are like cancer patients. If you had cancer, you would go to the doctor, so why don't you go to a psychiatrist?"
In another case, the psychiatrist stopped recording the hearing before turning to one of the survivors and saying: "Now that the committee has adjourned, off the record, I say: 'You live in a fantasy, your friends are already dead. They won't come back; you have to deal with yourself."
An examination by Kan News found that the incident involved what the psychiatrist described as an attempt at therapeutic intervention during the committee hearings, carried out, according to him, through emotional shock with the aim of providing therapeutic assistance.
However, survivors who appeared before the committees said that the remarks directed at them caused psychological distress, fear of attending the committees, and even a regression in their mental state.
In response, the National Insurance Institute said that the physician in question is a well-regarded doctor in the community, acting in his role as a psychiatrist on the medical committees, and is also known to other survivors as a physician who works to help them fully realize their rights and secure high assistance percentages. At the same time, it was stated that it is not the role of a physician on a medical committee to engage in medical treatment, and that the guidelines on this matter are unequivocal.
The National Insurance Institute added that it will ensure procedures are clarified for physicians, including keeping recordings running during committee hearings until the insured individual leaves the room.