In recent weeks, there has been an acute crisis at the Oncology Institute at the Wolfson Government Hospital in Holon, with all the ward nurses leaving their jobs without prior notice.
The nurses were abandoned due to allegations about the attitude and behavior of the institute's director, Dr. Ronen Brenner, and at the same time very harsh allegations were made in Israel Today that the hospital's management, Dr. Anat Engel and the Ministry of Health have consistently ignored warnings and complaints for months. Severe to severe impairment in medical treatment of cancer patients.
The hospital has a shortage of hospital beds that causes patients to receive chemotherapy treatments in the hallway, and there is a shortage of nursing and administrative staff at the institute that treats about 8,000 cancer patients a year.
Dr. Anat Engel, Director of Wolfson Hospital, Photo: Yossi Zeliger
On Thursday, there was a dramatic development in the crisis when an unprecedented complaint was filed in the history of the Israeli health system against the hospital director, claiming that she herself was causing a crisis at the Oncology Institute, in order to close it and prevent the institute from being run by Dr. Brenner. The committee that represents about 550 doctors at the hospital.
This is one of the most serious complaints ever filed against the director of a public hospital in Israel, and it is published here for the first time.
The complaint was sent to Dr. Engel by attorneys Arena Lynn and Lee Ilan on behalf of Dr. Brenner, and copies of the complaint were forwarded to the Director General of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Nachman Ash, and to the heads of the Medical Association.
The complaint read in relation to Dr. Engel: “Although you knew that the action of the nurses at the institute amounts to a wildcat strike in the absence of a lawful labor dispute;
Although you knew that the Oncology Institute had to operate with the help of nurses from other departments;
Although you knew that the Israel Medical Association is making great efforts to reach an agreement with the Nurses' Association and resolve the issue;
Although you knew that Dr. Brenner was right to reach a solution through dialogue and mediation; although you knew that in a letter from the Nurses' Federation they demanded dialogue in order to solve the problem, or alternatively transfer the nurses to another ward - and not, God forbid, close the oncology institute and disperse patients; It is good that many of Dr. Brenner's patients come to him after other doctors have determined that there is nothing more to do about them, and therefore they have nowhere else to go.
Despite all this - you did nothing, did not notify Dr. Brenner of these letters and did not warn the Ministry of Health about the future crisis and how it can be prevented. "
"Unprecedented Complaint": Dr. Brenner, Photo: Yehoshua Yosef
"Breach of ethical obligations"
"It is not our place to decide whether your actions are due to negligence or malice," the complaint said, Heart in collective relations.
But worse: up in your duties as director of a public hospital to difficult oncology patients in need of medical services.
"You have violated your duties as hospital director to take care of the welfare of the institution, its staff and patients, in that after five months of complete inaction, the first step you have taken to 'resolve' the conflict is the actual closure of the oncology department. "Brenner, file a complaint against you to the Commissioner of Public Admissibility for Medical Professions and the Ethics Committee of the Israel Medical Association," the complaint reads.
"Provide full care"
The Wolfson administration said: "The lawyers' letter is intended to divert attention from the reality of severe abuse of the oncology institute's nurses. ".
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