2 arrested for violence and threats to kill doctor

Two people were arrested for threatening to kill a doctor at an Israeli hospital after they became angry about the care an elderly relative was receiving, the hospital said Monday.

The incident took place Friday night at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. Police were called after family members of an elderly female patient became verbally and physically abusive, threatening to kill one of the caregivers, according to a statement from the hospital.

One of the men told a doctor that “one of you will not remain alive.”

The doctor who was attacked, Ronen Mass, is a resident in the department of internal medicine. He said on Monday that there is an atmosphere of fear among the staff.

“During my medical studies I never imagined that I would have to deal with murder threats, with physical and verbal violence from patients and their families, with personal insults and speech more suited to the criminal underworld,” Mass said.

According to the doctor the patients end up suffering, as in some cases staff are afraid to treat them.

Professor Ronni Gamzu, director of Ichilov, said that “the hospital will not tolerate such incidents and will act harshly against patients or their families who think that physical or verbal attacks on medical staff will get them what they want.”

He referred to the recent murder of Tova Kararo, a 55-year-old career nurse, who was killed earlier in the month when a patient doused her in flammable liquid and set her alight.

“The death of Tova Kararo, unfortunately, made no difference to the public, and after her horrific murder we continue to see daily violence and hate,” said Gamzu. “We will not tolerate it.”

An elderly Holocaust survivor, 77-year-old Holon resident Asher Faraj, is accused of killing Kararo. He was remanded in custody pending the results of a psychiatric evaluation.

The incident prompted much of Israel’s health care, education and social work systems to shut down for two hours the day after the attack in protest of recent acts of violence directed at staff.

Health care officials said violence against doctors and others by angry patients and family members is a chronic issue in Israel.

According to official government figures, there were 3,000 reported cases of violence or abuse against health personnel in hospitals, clinics and emergency services between 2014 and 2016.

Approximately 75 percent of those attacks were verbal abuse. One-quarter of the attacks were physical assaults against medical staff or their security. Three-quarters of the attacks took place in hospitals, especially in emergency rooms.