Doctor treats son - and gets attacked by father


Tal Polon ,

Israeli doctors in action (illustration)
Israeli doctors in action (illustration)
Flash 90

Last night, an Orthopedic doctor at Assaf Harofe Hospital who had just finished checking a patient was suddenly violently attacked by the patient's father, Nana reported.

"We're talking about a father who came into the room, ostensibly in order to speak to the doctor about the medical procedure for his son, and then suddenly erupts in a violent physical and verbal attack," said Dr. Eyal Yechezkeli. "He said very difficult, racist things."

According to Yechezkeli, attacks on doctors such as this have become commonplace at the hospital. "In the past, we had a policeman in the waiting room, but that still can't prevent prevent someone from spontaneously deciding to attack a doctor."

Dozens of doctors gathered Thursday morning at the entrance to the emergency room of Asaf Harofeh Hospital to protest Wednesday evening's attack.

"We won't let violence against the medical staff to take over Asaf Harofeh," Yechezkeli said.

Hospital management backed the doctors and said it would work with law enforcement agencies to eradicate violence.

"We want to minimize the damage done to innocent people - certainly those who arrive for treatment are not guilty. But we cannot be reconciled with violence, it's impossible to continue in this fashion," Yechezkeli added.