Against the backdrop of routine, thousands of cancer patients, asthma and other illnesses do not know whether to go to work and send their children to kindergarten • "Under the word" cancer is not mentioned "

• Chronic patients who are confused: return to routine or stay home?

  Photo: 

  Joshua Joseph

While the employment market and the education system are back to normal, hundreds of thousands of chronically ill patients are left behind. Although workplaces were reopened two and a half weeks ago, and the education system was also joined this week, the Ministry of Health has not issued any recommendations to guide the chronically ill and their families about how to drive. Is it safe for them to return to work? Are they allowed to send their children to educational institutions? 

Moshe Ben Simhon, newsenders, Paz Bar

At the beginning of the week, guidelines were issued by the Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Barr good sign to the Director General of the Ministry of Education, Shmuel Abubav, stating that only teaching workers who suffer from two or more health conditions should refrain from attending school. Ministry of Health guidelines have addressed patients with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetics, obese or smokers over 10 years, and anyone admitted for any reason (except birth) in the past three years. Thus, patients with lung disease, including asthma, patients and cancer survivors suffering from immune suppression, patients with autoimmune diseases and a variety of patients with chronic diseases, remain outside the guidelines.  

Patients and doctors warn that guidelines will be needed to allow chronic patients to stay healthy while returning to routine. "I am sorry to see this document. There are no doubt that there are many other diseases that sufferers are considered at risk and deserve to stay home and not return to work. They are headed by chronic lung diseases such as asthma, COPD or pulmonary fibrosis," says Dr. Amir Bar Shai, union secretary Israeli of pulmonary doctors and director of pulmonary medicine at "Barzilai" hospital in Ashkelon.    

"Every day, I get dozens of lung disease patients asking if they can go back to work, and on a case-by-case basis. There is no patient suffering from mild and well-balanced asthma treated with steroid or biological asthma. Such a document should be written in collaboration with all unions. Relevant. "

A father in a family dealing with cancer is debating whether he can bring his children back to school: "Neither the Ministry of Education, nor the teachers, nor the Ministry of Health's guidelines, mention mentions of oncology patients and whether they are at risk. There is a vague letter but does not define what children mean, and family in the context of Work or study. More than that, the system does not really know how to teach these children. In the meantime, send us a summary and say you will get along. Most upsetting. " 

Shmulik Ben Ya'akov, chair of the Association for Patient Rights: "There is great concern among the patient community about returning to routine and great concern. Even if the concern is unjustified, the Ministry of Health has a responsibility to calm these patients and give them instructions. You can't panic as 10,000 people die and then say nothing happens. We do not appear to have had any professional involvement in the country in formulating the guidelines. Such a document should come out in collaboration with all parties. "  

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"I hear about an employer who forbids a chronically ill person to come to work and in other cases actually have to come. My feeling is that the Ministry of Health is concentrating on Corona patients, and forgetting the chronically ill during the isolation period and even now. I expect the Ministry of Health to come out with a neat plan. There are hundreds of thousands of patients waiting for solutions ". 

Dr. Shilo Shilo, CEO of the Israeli Cancer Society: "Israel, like many countries, is back to normal, but many delicate patients are at great risk and are forced to stay home. Some patients are considered to be a population with a weakened immune system, and until now the impression was created that they should exercise caution during the days of Corona. Therefore, teaching staff or children who have cancer patients in the family are unlikely to be included in the list of risk states determined by the Ministry of Health. There is a real concern that is rising daily for patients and their families to return to routine. " 

Sigal Serzin, CEO of one of the nine nonprofit organizations: "In the Ministry of Health document on the risk situation, I do not find the word" cancer ". She just isn't mentioned. There is a total disregard for 22,000 breast cancer patients, which is the most common female disease. Both in physical and mental condition are extremely difficult. I get lots of inquiries from patients who do not know whether they can return to work and whether their children can go back to school. They are in a situation of helplessness. They are told that everyone will make their own decision. And when there's finally a document - they're not set. It was as if they had been forgotten at home. It's inexplicable loneliness. "

Despite our request to the Ministry of Health for clarification on who patients are at risk and how to act, no response has been received on the matter.