Slippery Slope

The ethics committee of the Israel Medical Association is pointedly refusing to tell doctors that they must treat HIV carriers in all instances. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

A recent Ministry of Education questionnaire distributed recently at elementary schools contains questions about the degree of the students’ belief in God.  The questionnaire states that affinity to religion could cure disease and improve quality of life.  When approached for a comment, the Ministry replied that the questionnaire has been removed from circulation.

(Hebrew)

Three years following a harsh report by the State Comptroller who found a long list of flaws in the provision of rehabilitation and mobility equipment to the disabled, the main flaws still exist, as are the promises of the Ministry of Health to improve its services.  Receiving aid from the ministry still requires filling out numerous forms about the applicant’s health and income; there is a lack of manpower in the relevant bureaus; receiving a wheelchair or prosthetic leg might depend not only on the applicant’s need, but also on the existence of funds in the health bureau’s budget.  In many cases applicants are referred to privately funded associations such as Yad Sarah or Ezer MiZion.

(Hebrew)

A new comparative report by the OECD found that Israel has one of the lowest places among OECD members in physical resources, infrastructure and expenditure on public helath. in 2009 Israel had 2 hospital beds per 1,000 people (as opposed to the OECD average of 3.5 per 1,000); the occupancy rate in Israeli hospitals is very high (96.3 percent as opposed to the OECD average of 76 percent); there are less than 32 hospital beds per 1000 people aged 65 or more, compared to the OECD average of 50 hospital beds per 1000 people aged 65 or more.

Tamar Golan, the attorney representing the Ministry of Finance in negotiations with the the Physician on strike, says that the right to strike must be restricted.

(Hebrew)

Human rights organisations claim that the Israeli prison service restrict access to medical treatment to Palestinian prisoners as a means of punishment.

Security forces denied a Palestinian ambulance entry to the village of Tantour near Beit Jala in order to move a 70 year old Palestinian woman who had suffered a heart attack.

Hebrew