ISRAELI HOSPITAL TOLERATES MURDEROUS DOCTOR

The bureaucrats just turned a blind eye

In the worst-ever case of medical malpractice in Israel, Yakirevich, who was the head of Ichilov's cardiac surgery department from 1990 to 1996, was found guilty of the manslaughter of two 80-year-old patients he treated. In the first case, Yakirevich hastened his patient's death by stopping the balloon pump in her heart. In the second case he was found guilty of killing through malpractice a patient who was recovering from an operation. After being informed that the patient, semi-conscious and who was suffering from severe respiratory and blood pressure problems, was in a critical state, Yakirevich ordered the medical staff not to use a life-support system.

Following his orders, the medical staff didn't try to resuscitate the patient, who died several hours later from asphyxiation. The judge ruled that the doctor knew his orders would lead to the death or the hastening of the patient's death. The judge said that the doctor "Acted out of insensitivity as though he possessed unlimited power. He decided who could live or die."

The Tel-Aviv District Court also slammed Ichilov hospital's management and conduct of the case. The hospital showed, according to the verdict, "a lenient and ingratiating attitude" towards Yakirevich "despite being aware of part of his acts." The hospital, he continues, "decided to leave the doctor in his position because it needed his expertise and experience, which no one could doubt."

This criticism follows one raised in Judge Kara's verdict from January, according to which the hospital's management, under Professor Gabi Barbesh did not pay heed to serious complaints put forward by patients and staff against Dr. Yakirevich, and did not report them to the Health Ministry.

In addition to manslaughter charges, Yakirevich was also found guilty of a number of financial offenses, such as "accepting illegal and immoral payments," to the tune of thousands of dollars, from patients and their families, fraudulent deception, and, in one case, extorting money from the daughter of a patient he had operated on at another Tel Aviv hospital.

More here.




CANCEROUS GROWTH IN THE COST OF GOVERNMENT-FUNDED "FREEBIES"

How unsurprising!


"Medicaid will become the No. 1 cost facing U.S. state governments in 2004, beating out elementary and secondary education for the first time ever, according to a report from state budget officers on Tuesday. The cost of providing health services under the federal-state program for the poor and disabled climbed 8 percent in fiscal 2003 and came within a hair of overtaking elementary and secondary education as the top expenditure. Medicaid accounted for 21.4 percent of all state spending while elementary and secondary education took 21.7 percent of state spending in 2003, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers' annual State Expenditure Report.

In 1987, the program accounted for only 10.2 percent of total state spending compared with the 22.8 percent of spending allocated to education, the budget officers' group said. When final results are tallied for fiscal 2004, the budget officers group expects Medicaid to top states' list of expenses, said Scott Pattison, executive director of the group. "It's amazing," Pattison said. "Based on the projections for the (fiscal year) 2004 data, we would expect that it has surpassed the (kindergarten through grade 12) figure." Fiscal 2004 ended June 30 for most states. The expenditures data lags by about a year.

Raymond Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association, said federal requirements mandating Medicaid coverage would force states to cut back on other services. "Since Medicaid is a federal entitlement and education is discretionary, Medicaid will trump education going forward," Scheppach said. State budget and Medicaid officials, as well as health advocates, have warned for years that growth in Medicaid costs was unsustainable. Rising prescription drug costs, increasing enrollment and costly nursing home care have been cited throughout the country as the program's main cost drivers.

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured last week said Medicaid costs would continue to squeeze state governments in fiscal 2005 despite rising revenue collections and improving economies.

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation.

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