haredi parent blocks burned toddler from Hadassah hospital

 

its sad that people can't react on their own to health matters and need the views of a rabbi, and will allow political disagreements to get in the way of proper healthcare

Haredi father blocks burned toddler from Hadassah

Crisis between ultra-Orthodox public and Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital surfaces again. Even though his 16-month old suffered from severe burns on her body caused by boiling water spilled on her, father refuses to allow ambulance to take his daughter to Hadassah because 'rabbi advised otherwise'

Ronen Medzini

Published:

10.30.09, 13:20 / Israel News

A 16-month-old toddler, who was severely burned when boiling water spilled on her, was hospitalized Friday morning in Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, which does not have a burn unit, because her father opposed her hospitalization in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. The father justified his insistent refusal, claiming that "the rabbi advised otherwise."   About a month ago, the tensions aroused between the hospital and the haredi community by the 'starving mother' affair seemed to have subsided. However, now it seems as though the ultra-Orthodox boycott of the hospital is alive and kicking. Magen David Adom paramedics sought to evacuate the toddler suffering from severe burns caused by boiling water to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital because there is a specialized burn unit there.   The father, however, expressed his strong opposition. According to the medical team on the ambulance, the father caused a commotion on the ambulance and insisted that his daughter be taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center.   "The 16-month-old toddler was apparently burned by boiling water," said to Ynet Ilya Davoner, a Jerusalem Magen David Adom paramedic who evacuated the girl to the hospital. "An ambulance arrived to evacuate her to the hospital. Halfway there, we transferred her to a mobile intensive care unit. She suffered from second-degree burns over 15% to 20% of her body. The burns were mainly on her face, chest, and shoulders."   "We wanted to evacuate her to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital," he said, "but the father actively resisted, shouted, and caused a ruckus. He told us: 'Hadassah Ein Kerem doesn't treat our group well. That's what the rabbi suggested to me, and I am following the rabbi's recommendation.' The father insisted on going to Shaare Zedek Hospital despite our attempts to convince him to choose Hadassah Ein Kerem, where the treatment options are better considering the toddler's health condition. She is currently hospitalized at Shaare Zedek." Advertisement       Hezi Rot, on call for United Hatzalah, a volunteer emergency medical service, provided first aid to the toddler outside the family's home. "The parents came downstairs with the toddler towards the medical team," he said.   "She was naked and wrapped in wet towels that the family had dressed her in. She suffered from burns all over her body from a pot of boiling water that spilled on her. Her skin was peeling. It was a serious burn. We immediately provided her first aid with bandaging. The parents were very stressed, panicked."   Rot recounted that some neighbors on the spot pressured the parents not to take the girl to Hadassah Ein Kerem: "This is a family with children. Of course they were very stressed. At the same time, a group of neighbors messed with their minds with protest. They said, especially to the mother: 'No way should you take her to Hadassah Ein Kerem.' Apparently, the pressure worked."   Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital has withheld comment at this time Mother suspected of starving toddler son Neturei Karta member believed to be suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy arrested after security cameras catch her disconnecting malnourished son from feeding tube; toddler's condition improving; Jerusalem welfare office set ablaze in protest of arrest Efrat Weiss Latest Update:  07.14.09, 21:42 / Israel News Cleared for publication: A haredi resident of Jerusalem was recently arrested on suspicion of starving her three-year-old son.   The toddler, whose weight dropped to a mere 15lbs, is hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in serious condition.   Jerusalem Magistrates' Court Judge Alexander Ron, presiding over the woman's remand hearing Tuesday, called the affair "the worst of the worst."   According to suspicion, the woman – who so far has not been cooperating with the investigation – suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychiatric disorder which causes those affected to inflict physical harm to someone else, typically a child, in order to draw attention or to themselves.  Psychiatric disorder. Mother enters courtroom (Photo: Dudi Vaaknin)    During the court hearing it was revealed that the child was hospitalized for the first time at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in September 2007, at the age of 19 months, with a fever and inflamed oral wounds. He refused to eat or drink and vomited. The toddler was released after two days and has since been admitted to the hospital on seven different occasions. He was transferred to Hadassah Ein Kerem in February 2009 and has been there ever since.    The medial staff became suspicious after the child's condition showed no signs of improving despite the intensive care he had received and they installed a hidden security camera in his room. To their dismay and horror, the footage showed the woman disconnecting her son's feeding tube and in some cases pouring an unknown substances down the tube.    The hospital immediately alerted the Jerusalem Municipality Department of Social Services, as well as the police. The Police arrested the mother shortly thereafter. Advertisement       Further investigation revealed that the woman is a member of the Neturei Karta community – a radical Orthodox, anti-Zionist faction. She has other children and is currently pregnant.   Hospital officials said there was an improvement in the toddler's condition since the mother's arrest and that he is now able to eat without the use of a feeding tube.   Several hundred haredim rioted on Bar-Ilan Street and at the Shabbat Square in the capital Tuesday evening in protest of the mother's arrest. The demonstrators torched dumpsters, also in protest of the City's decision to  open the Karta parking lot on Shabbat. One person was lightly injured.    Social workers in Jerusalem said they were threatened by members of the haredi community for their part in the mother's arrest.     Earlier in the day ultra-Orthodox residents of Jerusalem distributed flyers urging people to take to the streets in protest of the fact that the mother was arrested as she was leaving the welfare office. On Sunday the municipal welfare office, located near the Jerusalem's Ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood was set on fire in protest of the woman's arrest. No suspects have been detained as of yet, but police investigators said they knew who was behind the act.   Yael Branovsky contributed to the report    First Published:  07.14.09, 17:26

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