Health Ministry to investigate negligence claims in Barzilai hospital

While the hospital launched an internal investigation, it is now suspected that it was superficial and lacking.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A military ambulance at Barzilai Medical Center. (photo credit: TOVAH LAZAROFF)
A military ambulance at Barzilai Medical Center.
(photo credit: TOVAH LAZAROFF)
The Health Ministry has decided to investigate several complaints made against doctors in Ashkelon's Barzilai Medical Center, which claimed that internal in-fighting between doctors caused negligent treatment of patients in 2019, Israel Hayom reported.
According to the complaints, the in-fighting between doctors has caused them to improperly treat patients and misdiagnose them, as well as giving inexperienced interns the responsibility of performing tests and surgeries which they were not qualified for, including cancer surgeries.
While the hospital launched an internal investigation, it is now suspected that it was superficial and lacking on the part of management. The investigation was led by Prof. Chezy Levy, who before his recent appointment as director-general of the Health Ministry, was the head of Barzilai Medical Center. 
Dr. Boaz Lev, ombudsman for the medical profession in the Health Ministry, will now investigate the complaints, Israel Hayom reported.
The hospital has also made a "supervision and quality committee," whose members include Prof. Oded Zmora, head of the Department of Surgery in Assaf Harofe Medical Center.
The Civil Service Commission approved Levy's appointment as director-general of the Health Ministry on Friday.
Levy replaces outgoing director-general Moshe Bar Siman Tov, who has held the post since 2015.