HAARETZ HIT PIECE: Litzman Attacked For Arranging VIP Medical Care For Gerrer RebitzenMarch 6, 2019 9:30 pm
Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is in the news again, this time for arranging for VIP medical care for the Rebitzen of the Gerrer Rebbe Shlita.
According to the report released by the daily vehemently anti-religious Haaretz newspaper, Litzman arranged for premium medical care for Rebitzen Shoshana Alter from May 2018 until January 2019, bringing senior physicians to her side to treat her, arranging expedited and private visits, which Haaretz explains were at the expense of the general public. The report adds that the deputy minister oversaw home visits by senior physicians, which he also arranged.
“The moment she arrived she received service as if she was no less than the country’s president,” Haaretz quoted an unnamed medical official who witnessed the process.
The report adds that Litzman moved her ahead of long lines for an MRI for example, and when she would come for tests or visit the hospital, there was a large delegation, which Haaretz reports caused significant disruptions and even the closure of sections of Hadassah Hospital during her visit.
“It was VIP+++ treatment,” the anonymous medical official quoted by Haaretz said. Litzman is accused of contacting Hadassah’s director and other senior officials, placing the rebitzen’s care ahead of many, at their expense. The report adds that after consulting with medical askan Rav Elimelech Firer, it was decided that the rebitzen would undergo surgery in Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, and the surgeon was hand-selected, which is not done in the socialist HMO healthcare system. Following surgery, the rebitzen had a private double room for a week, and her family was given two additional rooms during that time period, rooms that are usually used for medical personnel.
Boxes containing requests for assistance to Litzman’s office
The article does not forget the rebbe, adding the Gerrer Rebbe was also given preferential medical care, all under the careful choreography of Litzman, himself a Gerrer Chossid. In this case, patients were removed from three rooms to accommodate the rebbe and his entourage of over 30 people.
“This is how government corruption looks,” a medical official was quoted as saying. “When it comes to Gerrer Chassidim and the rabbi’s wife, Litzman is there at every major crossroads. We are used to all sorts of celebrities asking for preferential treatment, but when it comes from a government official like the deputy health minister, you can’t say no.”
The following statement was released by Litzman’s office following the publication of the Haaretz article.
With regard to the requests of Litzman’s office for help, we see it as a right and a duty to help anyone who turns to our office on medical matters, with an emphasis on anyone who is transported [to a hospital], regardless of religion, race or community. This is in complete contradiction to the alleged claim of preference for close associates and chareidi patients.
Attempts to discredit Litzman and his office in support of others should be rejected because this is a clear policy that we announced at the beginning of the term. We even published telephone numbers of the staff of the bureau to assist the public, while preventing bureaucracy and streamlining the health system.
It should be understood that many of the appeals to us are in the context of pikuach nefesh, truly life-saving. It is our duty to assist the applicants, of course with strict observance of the requirements of the law and procedures.
We have never checked who is the one who appeals to us for help. Most of those who turn to us are unfamiliar to us and do not belong to the chareidi public or a certain community. Secular and chareidi, religious and non-religious, Arabs and immigrants, all of whom are equal in our efforts to help and assist us in every possible medical issue.
For the benefit of the public, we hereby re-issue the phone numbers to the staff of the Deputy Health Minister’s office:
Attached is a picture and a short video file documenting the boxes of public complaints that accumulate in the Litzman office. The material in the documentation is for the last 5 months only. Every six months we reach this amount.
All this is only documented and conventional public inquiries. In addition, there are at least two more immediate inquiries, which are handled by written notice and without attached documents. This is to give proportions to the phenomenon of public inquiries and its scope, which we are proud of and are completely legal.
Litzman was also in the media recently for intervening and blocking the extradition of chareidi woman wanted for 74 attacks against students in schools under her care by Australian authorities, as reported.
Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is in the news again, this time for arranging for VIP medical care for the Rebitzen of the Gerrer Rebbe Shlita.
According to the report released by the daily vehemently anti-religious Haaretz newspaper, Litzman arranged for premium medical care for Rebitzen Shoshana Alter from May 2018 until January 2019, bringing senior physicians to her side to treat her, arranging expedited and private visits, which Haaretz explains were at the expense of the general public. The report adds that the deputy minister oversaw home visits by senior physicians, which he also arranged.
“The moment she arrived she received service as if she was no less than the country’s president,” Haaretz quoted an unnamed medical official who witnessed the process.
The report adds that Litzman moved her ahead of long lines for an MRI for example, and when she would come for tests or visit the hospital, there was a large delegation, which Haaretz reports caused significant disruptions and even the closure of sections of Hadassah Hospital during her visit.
“It was VIP+++ treatment,” the anonymous medical official quoted by Haaretz said. Litzman is accused of contacting Hadassah’s director and other senior officials, placing the rebitzen’s care ahead of many, at their expense. The report adds that after consulting with medical askan Rav Elimelech Firer, it was decided that the rebitzen would undergo surgery in Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, and the surgeon was hand-selected, which is not done in the socialist HMO healthcare system. Following surgery, the rebitzen had a private double room for a week, and her family was given two additional rooms during that time period, rooms that are usually used for medical personnel.
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