Serious Failures at Maayanei HaYeshua Hospital Lead to Death of Four-Day-Old Infant

A Health Ministry committee determined that severe medical failures and poor communication between doctors and nurses at Maayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak caused the tragic death of a four-day-old infant in November 2022. The investigation revealed that the infant suffered from a severe infection that could have been treated with timely antibiotics. However, medical management deficiencies and information transfer issues delayed diagnosis and transfer to monitoring or neonatal care for 50 hours. The parents repeatedly warned staff about their son's worsening condition, including pain, high fever, rapid heartbeat, and pallor, but were ignored and told they were "nagging." The report highlighted that the resident doctor acted incompetently and failed to inform the on-call senior physician, who was not updated promptly, while nurses hesitated to insist on a doctor's arrival. After the infant's death, the family was discharged without explanation or a proper meeting, and their attempts to seek the truth were met with evasive responses. In January 2024, the parents filed a lawsuit in the Central District Court against the hospital and Dr. Bernard Barzilai, head of the neonatal department, represented by attorneys Dori Caspi and Daniela Avivi Nahum. The hospital's defense rejected the claims, asserting the infant was treated properly and the deterioration could not have been prevented. Maayanei HaYeshua Hospital did not respond to requests for comment before publication.