Leaders Visit Rambam Hospital to Condemn Racist Discourse Amid Election Season

On Sunday, Yossi Arbelich, chairman of the organization "Lema'anchem," visited Rambam Medical Center along with senior members including President Prof. Yosef Peres, Projector Prof. Hazi Levi, Dr. Benny Davidson, Dr. Gadi Neumann, and Prof. Yaakov Jerris. They met with Rambam's CEO Dr. Michal Mekel and other hospital executives to show support following a recent controversy involving a complaint about treatment and references to the Arab origin of staff members.

Dr. Mekel emphasized the importance of maintaining the delicate social fabric within Rambam and the entire healthcare system, highlighting that since March, the hospital has treated 200 wounded soldiers and remains the leading trauma center in Israel. She praised the staff's dedication and expressed satisfaction with the military's trust in the hospital.

Arbelich criticized the recent racist rhetoric targeting Rambam, attributing it to the ongoing election campaign and suggesting it aims to distract from neglected peripheral hospitals and delayed government funding. He affirmed the hospital's inclusive environment, where patients and staff from diverse backgrounds, including Arabs, Jews, ultra-Orthodox, and secular individuals, work side by side with compassion and commitment.

Arbelich also shared his personal experience referring hundreds of patients, including soldiers, to Rambam, all of whom received excellent care. He expressed a vision to export this unity beyond hospital walls and prevent external societal divisions from infiltrating healthcare institutions.