Gravestone of unvaccinated COVID patient accuses hospital of murder

The headstone of an unvaccinated woman who died last month of COVID-19 accuses the hospital in which she died of murdering her.

A photo of the headstone, which was widely circulated in Israeli media on Sunday, shows the inscription claiming the woman was “murdered in the Beilinson Hospital coronavirus ward,” and calls on God to “avenge her blood,” a common Hebrew phrase generally used for murder victims.

In response to the circulation of the image of the headstone, the Petah Tivka-based hospital condemned the harsh and accusatory language.

“The hospital is shocked by the inscription on the gravestone and is disgusted by the severe and inciting words, which have no factual basis,” it said in a statement. The hospital also said it was considering legal action.

The woman, said to be in her 70s, “arrived at the hospital unvaccinated after she was treated at home for a significant time,” said the hospital. “She was admitted with a heart attack and a pulmonary embolism and died of a serious case of COVID.”

The hospital said that the woman was treated by its coronavirus medical team “with endless devotion, with constant presence and dialogue with her family.” It said the engraved message on the headstone is “slander that degrades the public and social discourse like never before.”

Medical team members work in the coronavirus ward of Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva on October 4, 2020. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Health Ministry Director General Nachman Ash called the headstone “shocking” and said Israelis cannot “defame medical workers.”

More than 8,000 Israelis have died of COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak last year. Over 75% of the deaths have been among those over age 70.