Health and transplant experts decided today to stop all organ transplants at Hadassah University Hospital for the month of November after hospital administrators cut the budget for the transplantation unit so much that enraged top doctors warned it compromised patient care and one of them resigned after first refusing to transpant an organ to a patient, causing that organ to be wasted and the patient to continue to suffer.
Hadassah Hospital Organ Transplant Unit Closed After Hospital Cuts, Infighting, Put Patients At Risk
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Blame mega Ponzi-schemer Bernard Madoff.
Health and transplant experts decided today to stop all organ transplants at Hadassah University Hospital for the month of November after hospital administrators cut the budget for the transplantation unit so much that enraged top doctors warned it compromised patient care and one of them resigned after first refusing to transpant an organ to a patient, causing that organ to be wasted and the patient to continue to suffer, Ha'aretz reported.
The decision to halt transplants and reorganize what is left of the transplant unit was made by the Ministry of Health, Hadassah Hospital and the National Transplant Center – which has been considering stopping transplants at Hadassah for the past few weeks because of the chaos there.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health reportedly said that the decision to suspend transplants at Hadassah was made “in keeping with the recommendation of the chairman of the National Transplant Center, Prof. Rafi Biar, who last week conducted monitoring at Hadassah, received the expected transplant plan and met with doctors and management at the hospital.”
The suspension is a serious blow to Hadassah’s image and to its fundraising and its other funding, and comes at a time when Hadassah – which was once Israel’s top hospital – is fighting for its existence.
Hadassah’s slide began when its international sponsor, the Hadassah women’s organization, lost tens of millions of dollars in the massive $65 billion Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.
Because Hadassah is privately owned, it is at a disadvantage compared to state hospitals with regard to negotiation of reimbursements from HMOs, as well.
In February of this year, Hadassah Hospital had amassed a deficit of 1.25 billion shekels ($360 million), according to Israel’s Minister of Health Yael German.
Three weeks ago, the fighting between the transplant unit’s head, Dr. Hadar Merhav (whom Hadassah has been trying to fire for eight months) and the Hadassah Hospital’s management got so severe that a liver transplant for a 50-year-old woman was delayed.
According to an Israel Channel 2 News report, hospital management refused to allow Merhav to do the transplant.
Because of the dispute, another surgeon in the transplant unit, Dr. Menahem Ben-Haim refused to do it.
The transplant did not happen and the liver was reportedly buried with the donor.
Organs are difficult to match and scarce, and Ben-Haim's refusal to do the transplant likely will cost someone – not necessarily that patient – their life.
About 10 days ago, Ben-Haim reportedly resigned. In a letter written to the transplant unit’s staff, Ben-Haim claimed the liver transplant affair was only one of a long series of incidents which cast doubt on the unit’s ability to function under the then-current conditions.