Bnei Brak hospital denies claim it refused treatment to Arab woman with cancer

Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in the Haredi city of Bnei Brak issues a statement today refuting a claim made by MK Ahmad Tibi that an Arab Israeli woman with cancer was refused treatment there last Thursday.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Tibi said that he heard directly about what happened from the woman involved. He said that the woman from the Arab city of Kfar Qasim, a regular patient at the hospital, arrived that evening at the emergency department feeling unwell from a chemotherapy treatment she had received earlier in the day. Tibi wrote that the doctor in charge told the woman and a Jewish friend accompanying her to immediately leave the hospital.

Tibi claimed that the doctor told the women, “We don’t treat Arabs here.”

Tibi further recounted that another doctor tried to intervene, but that the doctor in charge called hospital security, which escorted the women out.

“This is an egregious act that should not happen in the healthcare system, including during these difficult days [of war],” Tibi wrote.

“This is fake news,” said the hospital in a statement. “Indeed, this does involve a woman who has been treated with dedication in various departments at Mayanei Hayeshua. She arrived at the emergency room and was received by the physician in charge, Dr. Mustafa. She herself made the decision to leave because she did not want to wait for an outside expert physician.

“At Mayanei Hayeshua, there are caregivers and patients of all religions and sexes, and we will continue to provide dedicated and professional care to all who come here,” the hospital said.