UPDATE: Crisis management needs advance planning, says former chief medical officer… praises Health Ministry but says it's time they stepped aside. arutzsheva
Arutz Sheva spoke with Professor Aryeh Eldad, former IDF chief medical officer, to discuss the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
“The Israeli health system has excellent hospitals, experts, and scientists,” he stressed at the outset of the interview. “When dealing with a terror attack, we manage superbly, evacuating the wounded and providing swift treatment. However, when it comes to dealing with a mass disaster, we don’t manage well. If G-d forbid there was an earthquake with thousands of casualties, the army would be brought in. In such an event, we need special government bodies for gathering data, managing the event, and overseeing the management – also coordinating the effort with other sectors such as the economy, transportation, and agriculture.”
“We have already invested a huge amount of time and money in drawing up the plans for a mass disaster,” he said. “But these plans aren’t being implemented now. Why? Because, unlike a war, or an earthquake, an epidemic doesn’t become a catastrophic event at one clear point in time. Instead, the situation evolves, and the government response evolves with it. That’s what’s happening now. And I have to admit that the government, and specifically the Health Ministry, is coping very well with the crisis. It is truly deserving of praise, and has done a huge amount to mitigate the extent of the epidemic here.”
“The government has a special task force for dealing with crises such as the present one,” he noted. “But it hasn’t been put on the case yet.”
Why not? Is the reason the usual one: politics?
“No, that’s not the main reason,” he replied. “I think it’s simply because people are human. Once people are already in the thick of things, they don’t just step aside and say: Okay, let someone else take over now. And that’s only natural,” he said, “especially given the experience the people running things have gained along the way. But this is why we draw up protocols in advance,” he noted wryly. “In order to take into account the human factor.”
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My earlier Assessment:
In the JPOST this morning I read an article about a disagreement between Dr Rotstein, head of Hadassah, and the Health Ministry head, Mr Grotto. Dr Rotstein elucidated his findings on the testing that was done at Hadassah, on medical staff and others, and proved the crux of his approach to this pandemic. He explained how to test, isolate, and be able to bring the healthy back to work for the economic health of our Eretz Yisrael.
Compared to the opinion of Grotto, who incidentally has connections to the UN, WHO and CDC that are less than effective, but in fact are designed to INCREASE the numbers of ill and the widespread effects of this virus.
I would hope that the “good guys” and those who are fighting for the realistic health of this tiny oasis in the world, would completely follow Dr Rotstein’s strategy. Maybe the good doctor and DM Bennet could work together. Bennett has also preferred that his office have responsibility over the Health Ministry.
The defense of the country is a War on an invisible enemy, while also being a war on the DS operatives in Israel.
Based on JPOST article “Top hospital head to 'Post': Israel's Coronavirus strategy failed. 'Health Ministry needs to rethink policy of isolation'”
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