"I was helpless": a soldier spat blood, was ignored in the army - and his lung was cut off Israel today

For eight months a Golani fighter coughed and spat blood, the commanders ignored, and finally the doctors had to cut out part of his lung.

Following this, the Ministry of Defense recognized his disability at a rate of 11 percent and will pay him compensation in the amount of NIS 70,000 - this is what the Magistrate's Court in Rishon Lezion recently ruled.

The plaintiff, 22 years old who finished his military service, enlisted in November 2017 and went through the full warrior's course.

In July 2019, he was examined by a doctor after complaining of coughing and pain in the rib area.

He was referred for imaging and treated with antibiotics, but no repeat imaging was performed on him for review - and he continued to suffer from coughing up blood and great suffering for many months, without any medical attention or investigation.

After many requests, he was examined in April 2020 by the unit's doctor, and it was decided to take him to a hospital in view of his serious condition.

"I was helpless," he stated in the lawsuit he filed against the Ministry of Defense, "the entire difficult situation I suffered from, and I still suffer from, could have been avoided if they had addressed my complaints and the symptoms I suffered from."

Attorney Adi Ben Yishai Greens, photo: Alona Karni Gelman

In the lawsuit, filed through attorney Adi Ben Yishai Greens, it was stated that despite prolonged complaints to his commanders and military medical officials about coughing up blood and breathing problems, the investigation of his condition was delayed for more than six months.

The discharged soldier emphasized that before his enlistment in the IDF he was involved in sports and did not suffer from any health problems.

Today I suffer from shortness of breath and I am left with disturbing scars on my chest."

"The lung resection could have been avoided."

Prof. Fruchter, photo: courtesy of the photographer

Prof. Oren Fruchter, director of the Pulmonary Department at Wolfson Hospital, stated as an expert doctor brought on behalf of the prosecution that the soldier suffered from bronchiectasis, an obstructive disease of the lungs characterized by permanent and irreversible expansion of the airways. The reason for this, in high probability, stems from the lack of follow-up after suffering a continuous infection pulmonary

According to him, "It is impossible to accept a situation where in a military medical system, the belief in the health of soldiers, a soldier comes, complains for more than six months about coughing up blood and does not receive the clarification and treatment requested. If he had been referred to a pulmonologist in time, it would have been possible to avoid a lung resection - radical surgery For those who are not sick with cancer, but with a disease that can be treated."

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