To: whom it may concern Re: Search for a solution

Dear Sir/ Madam, I am a man aged 47 who suffers from several chronic illnesses and am unable to receive medical treatment due to the failures of the public medical system in Israel. I recently sent the attached letter to very many places, but no government office, organization or association of any kind in the State of Israel is able to offer me a solution. On the other hand I need a solution that will give me urgent medical observation, and as I live on a disability pension of NIS 3208 per month from the National Insurance Institute, I am unable to make use of private medical services, so I find myself at an absolute dead end, which could even endanger my life.

I want to know if you have any ideas for a solution. I emphasize that I am willing to accept any idea that comes into your mind – even something that at first glance looks “stupid” or “crazy” or illogical. Best wishes, Assaf Benyamini

PS 1) Below is my recent correspondence (I am writing this on Wednesday 20.11.2019) with Dr. Hagit Peleg from Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital:

I am currently being “treated” apparently by Dr. Michael Halab, but when I get to him there is no possibility of medical follow-up or treatment because of his problematic conduct: the long time the doctor spends on telephone calls that are apparently nothing to do with me (he makes these calls in Russian – a language I don’t know so I can’t know what he is talking about while I wait in the room). I want to point out that this is his regular conduct, not a one-off, and so when he makes a decision, he is not focused, and his decisions are always based on partial information, because his long telephone calls leave no time to examine information about the patient he is supposed to be treating. This situation led to the fact that in one case Dr. Halab sent me for a test that I am forbidden to do in my condition, and which could have really endangered my life – something that was prevented at the last minute thanks to my alertness and that of the nurse who was supposed to prepare me for that dangerous test. This is the “treatment” I get from this “excellent” family physician that you know.

I have already reported this and complained to everyone possible: The Clalit Health Services Public Complaints Department, the Israel Medical Association, The Union of Family Physicians in Israel, The Ministry of Health Public Complaints Department, and even sent letters to the home of Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, who as you know was the Minister of Health for part of the period. Unfortunately I did not receive a reply from any of them – and as a result I am forced to reach two sad and depressing conclusions:

1) Dr. Michael Halab’s professional prestige and continued payment of his monthly salary are far more important to Clalit Health Services that health, or even the right to life and continuing survival of the patients. 2) My complaints are not treated seriously by anyone because I am defined as mentally ill, and based on a false assumption that because of my illness I am “imagining” this very difficult situation, and because a mental problem leads automatically to an intelligence problem, it is quite unnecessary to relate seriously to the complaints raised by a mentally damaged person, or to even treat me as a human being, and instead of that they treat me like a “machine” or a “robot” that is always supposed to agree to everything automatically.

As I understood this reality, I simply stopped going to see Dr. Michael Halab, knowing clearly that his mistaken instructions, the result as I said of his lack of attention, are more dangerous for me than any illness or medical condition. The fact that nobody in the health system is prepared to relate or to do anything even in such a serious situation, shows that even moving to another doctor, or another clinic, or even another health provider will not help me in any way.

I stress that these are in no way hasty or rash conclusions, but conclusions that I have been forced to reach after many years of clarifications and fundamental and very comprehensive tests – and in view of the circumstances I remain today with no treatment or medical response whatsoever, although the medical system will never admit this.

To sum up, I really appreciate your attempts to help and your devoted treatment – and the severe criticism I have written here refers to the conduct of the medical system in general towards me, and certainly not to you personally. As long as this conduct does not change – doctors who don’t listen and risk the lives of patients, and a medical system that knowingly backs up their serious omissions instead of dealing with them – it will not be possible to get any medical help from family doctors.

Best wishes, Assaf Benyamini

20:25:09 Monday, 18 November 2019, GMT+2 Hagit Peleg Hagithagitp@hadassah.org.il

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The only doctors I know there are Emma Saporni and Dr. Halab, and both are excellent family doctors.

From Assaf Benyamini <assaf197254@yahoo.co.il Sent: Monday 18 November 2019 20:21 To: Peleg Hagit Re: Letter to Dr. Hagit Peleg

Shalom Dr. Peleg I am sending you a link with a list of all the doctors in the Borochov Clinic where I am treated. If you are unable to open the link, I will copy the list. Best wishes, Assaf Benyamini Kiryat Hayovel, Jerusalem: Clalit Health Services

Kiryat Hayovel, Jerusalem | Clalit Health Services

Information and contact details for Kiryat Hayovel – Jerusalem Clinic which provides diagnostic breath services (helicobacter); laboratory tests; bedikomat (automatic test results) in…

On 20:16:09 Monday, 18 November 2019, GMT+2 Hagit Peleg Hagithagitp@hadassah.org.ilwrote

Dear Assaf, Please write and tell me which family doctors receive patients in your branch and perhaps I can direct you to a doctor that I know. Best wishes, Hagit

2) Below is my correspondence on the subject (I am writing on Wednesday 20.11.19) with Hatikva Clinic

From: Assaf Benyamini Sent: Wednesday November 6, 2019 11.31.44 To: office@hatikvadental.co.il Subject: My question

I have been treated at your clinic for some time. Apart from dental treatment, unfortunately I also suffer from other chronic diseases. Recently I have been unable to get a medical response from Clalit Health Services where I am under observation because of the declining state of the public health system in Israel. My question to you is: are there any organizations that are in contact with Hatikva Project Association who could give me help in medical areas such as family medicine, orthopedics, neurology or rheumatology? Do you have any information on this? Best wishes, Assaf Benyamini 115 Costa Rica St., Entrance A, Apartment 4 Kiryat Menachem, Jerusalem 9662592 Telephone at home: 972-2-6427757, mobile: 972-52-4575172, Fax: 972-77-2700076.

NB: 1) My ID number is 029547403 2) My email address: walla.co.il@029547403 or asb783a@gmail.com or assaf197254@yahoo.co.il or ass.benyamini@yandex.com or assaf46@outlook.com. 3) My treatment framework is Reut Association, Avivit Hostel, 6 Ha’avivit St., Kiryat Menachem, Jerusalem 9658016. Telephone at the hostel office: 972-2-6432551 or 972-2-6428351 Hostel email address: avivit6@barak.net.il. 4) The social worker of Avivit Hostel, who I met with on Tuesday, 12.12.2017 at 13.30 absolutely and strictly forbade me to give any details about her and/or about other staff at the Avivit Hostel or the Reut Association. 5) The family doctor with whom I am under observation: Dr. Michael Halab, Clalit Health Services, Borochov Clinic, 63 Borochov St., Kiryat Hayovel, Jerusalem 9678150 Clinic office telephone: 972-2-6440777 Clinic office fax number: 972-2-6438217

To: Re: Medical treatment

Dear Sir/ Madam, I am a man aged 47 from the Jerusalem area who suffers from a number of severe medical problems, and I am unable to obtain treatment at the Health Services Clinic with the family doctor who is supposed to be treating me, because of defects in the medical system and the situation of public medicine – which as we know has been written about in the media. I would like to know whether your organization has links to any clinics and/or doctors where I could get the medical response I need. I am referring mainly to the fields of general practice, rheumatology, cardiology and neurology. Best wishes Assaf Benyamini 115 Costa Rica St., Entrance A, Apartment 4 Kiryat Menachem, Jerusalem 9662592 Telephone at home: 972-2-6427757, mobile: 972-52-4575172, Fax: 972-77-2700076.

NB: 1) My ID number is 029547403 2) My email addresses are: walla.co.il@029547403 or asb783a@gmail.com or assaf197254@yahoo.co.il or ass.benyamini@yandex.com or assaf46@outlook.com. 3) My treatment framework is Reut Association, Avivit Hostel, 6 Ha’avivit St., Kiryat Menachem, Jerusalem 9658016. Telephone at the hostel office: 972-2-6432551 or 972-2-6428351 Hostel email address: avivit6@barak.net.il. 4) The social worker of Avivit Hostel, who I met with on Tuesday, 12.12.2017 at 13.30 absolutely and strictly forbade me to give any details about her and/or about other staff at the Avivit Hostel or the Reut Association. 5) The family doctor with whom I am under observation: Dr. Michael Halab, Clalit Health Services, Ir Ganim Clinic, 63 Borochov St., Kiryat Hayovel, Jerusalem 9678150 Clinic office telephone: 972-2-6440777 Clinic office fax number: 972-2-6438217 6) Other personal details: age 47 Family status: single, date of birth: 11.11.1972.

7) Details of the regular medication I take:

  1. Psychiatric medicines: a. Seroquel – 2 tablets of 300 mg. each every evening. b. Tegretol CR – 400 mg in the morning, 400 mg in the evening. c. Effexor – 150 mg in the morning, 150 mg in the evening.

  2. Symvastatine – 10 mg every evening.

  3. Below is some explanation about the Irritable Bowel Syndrome from which I suffer. To: Re: Treatment with peglax

Dear Sir/ Madam, For many years I have suffered from various physical and mental health problems. One of the physical problems I suffer is called Irritable Bowel Syndrome – an illness whose main symptoms are extreme changes in appetite, vomiting that sometimes makes it difficult to drink enough water (and as a result in recent years I have suffered cases of dehydration for which I had to go to A&E in hospital), constipation and pain after defecating. After talking to a number of doctors and having tests, I learned that I have a chronic illness that cannot be treated. However there is a preparation called peglax which, when combined with good nutrition, certainly helps me considerably. This preparation is not in the basket of medicines, and because of my difficult economic situation I am unable to take it regularly. Do you think there is a solution for this problem? Best wishes, Assaf Benyamini

NB: I have an opinion that I received from a dietitian called Liron Landheim, who checked me on 27.3.2007 at Clalit Health Services (in the Kiryat Moshe clinic in Jerusalem where I under observation at that time by a family doctor called Dr. Yehudit Saadon).

9) Below is a list of my medical problems: 1. Mental illness – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and something defined as schyzo-affective disorder. 2. Psoriatic arthritis. 3. A neurological disorder whose definition is not clear. The main symptoms are: dropping objects without being aware of it, loss of feeling in parts of my hands, and problems with balance and stability. 4. Chronic slipped disc between vertebrae 4-5, which has effects on the legs and makes walking difficult. 5. Irritable bowel syndrome. 6. Early symptoms of a cardiological problem from last month (I am writing this on Thursday, 22.3.2018). At the moment the nature of this problem is not yet clear, but I have chest pains for most of the day, difficulties with breathing and also with speaking.

10) This is the start of a letter I once sent to various places (I am writing this on Tuesday, 6.8.2019):

To: Re: Medical service

Dear Sir/ Madam, I Assaf Benyamini live in rented accommodation in Kiryat Menachem in Jerusalem, and I suffer from various physical and mental health problems. As a chronic patient I have to visit my family doctor from time to time for one problem or another. Unfortunately, the situation is very annoying: at my meetings with the doctor, I am unable to raise the medical problems I have to discuss, because of the long time the doctor spends on telephone calls that have nothing to do with me – and as a result when the doctor gives medical advice he is not concentrating, gives advice that could very probably be wrong and based only on partial or superficial information. For a chronic patient like me, this situation is unbearable – and from my long experience with the health services where I am supposed to be treated, I have learned that the situation is just getting worse, and apparently I will get no better medical response, however serious or dangerous my condition. My question to you is: what do you think can be done on this matter?

Best wishes, Assaf Benyamini

NB: I am not considering moving to another doctor or a different health provider. From my experience I have learned that the situation with other doctors is not very different from what I describe here, and moving to another health provider would have no effect, apart of course from the loss of my rights to nursing insurance (Clalit Mushlam – which I joined in 1998), because in such cases you can’t take your Insurance seniority with you, so that everything I’ve paid from 1998 to the present would be completely lost.