Rambam Health Care Campus denied allegations made on Saturday by David Chesterman, the brother of one of four soldiers wounded in Lebanon last week, who claimed troops were severely mistreated by hospital staff during an overnight stay at the Haifa medical center. According to Rambam, an investigation led the facility to reject all claims of wrongdoing directed at the staff.
Allegations of Mistreatment During Overnight Hospitalization
In a post on Instagram, David Chesterman alleged that the families of four wounded soldiers were barred from seeing their loved ones and that the troops waited for ages to receive food and water. Chesterman wrote that his brother was seriously wounded in Lebanon, hospitalized alongside three fellow soldiers three days ago, and only woke up the previous afternoon after being sedated and ventilated. According to Chesterman, his brother suffered from burns all over his body, pain, fever, and hallucinations.
Chesterman stated that a new, Arabic-speaking shift arrived on the ward during the night and asked families to leave. “At night, a new shift arrived on the ward, all of them Arabic speakers. They removed all the families from the wards and locked the doors. Four seriously wounded soldiers find themselves alone for an entire night, surrounded by an Arabic-speaking staff behind locked doors. It’s completely insane,” he wrote. When family members tried to re-enter, Chesterman said their requests were denied until he broke through a door to check on his brother.
Upon entering the room, Chesterman stated he found his brother begging for water with no one around. “He whispered to me that they had turned him over in the bed brutally, ‘like a sardine,’ his head was slammed into the bed, and no one cared,” Chesterman said, demanding to know who would take responsibility.
Rambam Health Care Campus Response and Multicultural Staff Defense
Rambam stated that while it takes allegations of inappropriate treatment seriously, it would “not accept statements that disqualify or cast aspersions on the medical center’s staff on the basis of their community or ethnicity.” The hospital emphasized that it operates with a multicultural staff comprising employees from all sectors, communities, and religions who have devotedly treated many wounded soldiers arriving throughout the war.
Defense Minister Israel Katz Orders Immediate IDF Investigation
In response to the published testimonies, Defense Minister Israel Katz called for the IDF to investigate the incident. “I view with the utmost seriousness the testimonies that have been published regarding the treatment of wounded IDF soldiers at the hospital,” Katz said, adding that the soldiers who were wounded defending Israel deserve dedicated, best possible care and respectful treatment for themselves and their families.
Katz stated that he instructed the IDF to immediately and thoroughly investigate all allegations raised with the hospital and relevant authorities. He added that any staff member found to have treated wounded soldiers in an improper or egregious manner would face action, noting that authorities will demand answers, draw conclusions, and act to prevent similar incidents.
IDF Coordination and Division of Medical Responsibility
Following Katz’s order, representatives from an IDF medical unit responsible for monitoring the rehabilitation of wounded or hospitalized soldiers coordinated with the hospital to clarify the matter, the military confirmed. The military emphasized that medical responsibility for treating hospitalized soldiers lies with the medical center, though the IDF works in cooperation with all relevant hospitals to provide the best response for service members.
The military stated it will continue to closely accompany its wounded soldiers and their families, acting on their behalf out of deep responsibility and commitment.
Related reading