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Criticism of the Ministry of Health: The condition for medical counseling for victims of sexual assault violates rights
The Ministry of Health announced that due to the corona victims could receive medical advice over the phone in exceptional cases, but a discussion on the subject revealed that the advice is conditional on a conversation with a social worker.
Organizations working against sexual violence have approached the ministry, claiming that the demand is against the law and creates a cumbersome procedure that "may intensify the trauma."
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Corona virus
social workers
Ministry of Health
Maya Horodnichano
Sunday, 25 October 2020, 09:28
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The Ministry of Health provided medical telephone counseling to victims of sexual assault in a conversation with a social worker, according to a discussion held on the subject last week with the participation of representatives of various government ministries.
The Lobby for War on Sexual Violence and the Association for Civil Rights have asked the ministry to lift this demand.
According to them, it "contradicts the Patient's Rights Law and violates the right of the victims."
Following the Corona crisis, the ministry announced that victims of sexual assault will in exceptional cases be able to receive initial medical advice over the phone from staff in the acute rooms, and will not be required to physically arrive for treatment.
But recently it became clear that in order to talk to a doctor in the acute center, the victim will have to talk to a social worker beforehand.
"In the evening and at night, the initial call usually reaches the emergency room for the nurses, who will forward the referral to the center's founding social worker. A conversation with a doctor will not be allowed," reads a presentation by the Ministry of Health.
It was also stated that the conversation with the social worker "is very important for us for the professional assessment and to address the whole problem and not just part of the drug treatment. There is no purpose here to underestimate or harm the injured - the opposite is true."
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In order to talk to a doctor, the victim will have to talk to a social worker.
Coroners in the Corona Department (Photo: Roni Kanfo)
In an application sent by the organizations opposing the procedure through the head of the Ministry of Health's medical division, Adv. Tal Hussein to Dr. Vered Ezra, they claimed that “women who have been raped are exposed to various diseases, some serious, including AIDS and other infectious diseases. "Most after the attack. So is taking contraceptives."
"The condition of receiving prescriptions in an early conversation with a social worker, after which only the victim will have a conversation with a doctor, may greatly extend the period of time for receiving the essential prescriptions," they added in their application.
"Moreover, according to the new policy presented at the meeting - if the victim is not interested in such a conversation she will not receive prescriptions at all. This is an absurd and unreasonable result."
Organizations also explain that this is contrary to the Patient's Rights Act, according to which in an emergency a person must be given urgent medical care without conditions.
The appeal emphasized the importance of mental health care and the accompaniment of a social worker, but "however, it seems that forcing such a conversation on women (and men) who have just been sexually assaulted, and blocking their way to medical care until it is carried out, may intensify the trauma."
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To the full article
"There is no victim who can stand it."
Demonstration against violence against women (Photo: Reuven Castro)
Yael Scherer, the founder of the Lobby for the War on Sexual Violence, adds that in practice the service is almost unsuitable for the victims due to the attempt to save costs.
"The Ministry of Health has published a number, but it is an emergency room number. When calling there, you have to explain to someone who was raped, that the person on the line is a secretary or even an outside company who answers the phone, and transfers it to the social services. "To a social worker who will decide whether to talk to the doctor. Can someone who has now been raped and needs treatment call four different branches, is that applicable?", She says.
"No less than four strangers should tell them 'I was raped,' and explain to them what happened. Four different people, no victim can stand it."
Although the Ministry of Health explains that there is also a social worker in the emergency room who accompanies the treatment, Scherer says that this is different in a phone call.
"The attempt to duplicate what's going on in the emergency room - does not work. Unless you want to say there will be a conference call and a social worker will be present."
Ministry of Health: "The response gives a central place to address trauma"
The Ministry of Health stated that "an incident of sexual assault is a traumatic and difficult event with mental and physical consequences. The professional concept on which the treatment of victims of sexual assault is built in the hospital is to provide a professional response that addresses central mental trauma. In the first stage, you meet the social worker with experience in the treatment of the subject, who accompanies the entire treatment, conducts a psychosocial diagnosis and initial needs assessment, and delivers the treatment to the appropriate professionals, including a doctor. ".
It was also reported that "Following the corona, in view of the difficulty in reaching health services, the Ministry of Health allowed in its guidelines from April, a telephone answer to victims of sexual assault in exceptional cases where patients are unable to reach the hospital In this situation, it can have consequences for health, so it is important that the drug treatment is given after a meeting with the doctor, while referring to medical information relevant to the patient. "
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