Eyal Berkovic on the incident at Rambam: "There is a problem here, only Arab doctors"
Erel Segal and Eyal Berkovic clashed over doctors leaving Israel and the shortage of Jewish doctors. Berkovic warned of a "brain drain" and addressed the claim that wounded soldiers at Rambam Hospital were left with only an Arab medical staff.
Erel Segal and Eyal Berkovic clashed on Sunday on 103FM over concerns regarding a brain drain from Israel and the shortage of Jewish doctors, against the backdrop of claims that wounded soldiers find themselves being treated primarily by Arab medical teams.
Segal reminded Berkovic of data he presented on his program on Channel 13, stating: "You said 10 out of 30 doctors left the country and you claimed that was a majority; that means you were either wrong or you lied. 10 is not a majority."
Berkovic replied: "I will tell you what I meant. Today I hear about many doctors who are leaving the country. The rate of those leaving from the top decile has risen by 80%, it is worrying. The brains are fleeing the country." Segal responded: "People abroad are taking mezuzahs off their homes. Where will people flee to? It is a bad figure, but already in the 70s they asked here who would turn off the lights."
Later, Berkovic raised a serious claim regarding the treatment of wounded soldiers in hospitals:
"I spoke with a guy who said that wounded soldiers arrive at Rambam and they are left only with an Arab staff of doctors. There is a problem here, there are no Jewish doctors here. I am begging the Ministry of Health, Prime Minister, deal with this matter."
These remarks were made against the backdrop of testimony published by David Chesterman, the brother of one of the fighters who was seriously wounded in an incident in Lebanon in which two fighters were killed and four others were seriously wounded. Chesterman described the treatment his brother received after being evacuated to Rambam Hospital:
"My brother was seriously wounded in Lebanon, and what happened afterwards is simply inconceivable. 3 days ago he was hospitalized together with three other fighter friends. He was sedated and intubated and only woke up yesterday afternoon, suffering from burns all over his body, pain, fever, and hallucinations."
According to him, "At night, a new shift arrived at the ward - all of them Arabic speakers. They removed all the families from the wards and locked the doors. Four seriously wounded fighters find themselves alone all night, surrounded by an Arabic-speaking staff behind locked doors. It is completely insane."
