Medical Organization: 'Incitement Against Rambam Staff Is a Red Line'

In response to allegations surrounding the treatment of soldiers at Rambam Hospital, healthcare officials are defending the hospital's staff. Prof. Hagai Levine and the 'Mirsham' organization warn against incitement and racism, while emphasizing that claims about the quality of care deserve examination.

Following the controversy over the treatment of soldiers at Rambam Hospital and the allegations raised on social media, figures in the healthcare system are coming to the defense of the hospital's staff. Prof. Hagai Levine, chairman of the Public Health Physicians Association, sharply attacked the claims, calling them a 'dangerous blood libel' aimed at 'dismantling from within the only system that still functions as an island of sanity and equality in Israel.' He stressed that the harm is not limited to Arab staff but affects every patient. The 'Mirsham' organization also issued a sharp response, stating that the incitement against the staff constitutes a 'crossing of a red line.' The organization highlighted the joint work of Jewish and Arab doctors, nurses, and staff members, as well as the challenges of manpower shortages, low wages, and burnout. They clarified that criticism of the quality of care is legitimate, but one must distinguish it from an attack on staff members based on their origin or language. The organization called on managements to stand by the staff in the face of manifestations of racism and incitement.