Springtime in Israel
March 11, 2007
It is difficult to fully grasp how time has passed this year. Nonetheless, I am focussing now on sharing my experiences in Israel. I last was here in 1999, prior to the millenium, prior to 9/11, prior to the most recent intifada, prior to the war in Iraq, prior to Arial Sharon having a massive stroke, prior to the was in Lebanon. My sister, Aliza, has lived her since 1983. I am visiting her now and was on my first visit in 1999. Then, we played tourist. Now, I am visiting and able to absorb more of he normal ways of living for her.
Healthcare in Israel is state-funded. It has been socialized since the birth of the state in 1947. Not unlike the pressures in the US, the healthcare systems is plagued by lack of funding and an increasing population. Furthermore, Israel is in a state of war and the economy is terrible. So, the tax based has waned and funds are ever lessened. Few tourists.
While I am here, I will be visiting one public hospital in Rehovot, which is where my sister lives. Rehovot has a population of about 100K and is most known for being the home of the Weizmann institute, a reseach institute that is international and internationally known. Therefore, the population of Rehovot, in part, is academic, international, and English speaking. In addition, there is a very orthodox community here that lives on the southern edge of town. There are Ethiopian Jews here, making the population look more diverse. There are, however, few Arabs. A diverse Jewish population.
Rehovot is located one hour north of Jerusalem and 20 mintes from Tel Aviv. Israel is small. Smaller than Connecticut.
My sister reported to me that Rehovot is changing. Some of the small, single family homes, are being replaced with high rise apartment buildings. Why? There is an expectation that Jews from Gaza and the West Bank will be moving back into Israel proper and need housing. People live mainly in apartments here…but there are a few single homes, old…but stand alone dwellings. From what she says, this is diminishing in number as i write this.
The hospital is walking distance. Kaplan Hospital. I will visit this facility and actually perform (I brought a 26 string harp with me!) tomorrow. Aliza does volunteer work there. This is a state hospital. From what ALiza says, it is sub-standard: dirty, crowded, and unregulated. I will let you know what I see.
However, prior to my going, as I wrote for our March newsletter, there is a scandal and fear around a SUPERBUG: hospital borne infection that has killed 130 patients to date. They have not yet found an antibiotic to stop it. Furthermore, the handwashing…lack of it…is a great contributor to this problem, not unlike in the US and Britain…and I expect everywhere institutional care is housed in a single building.
Yesterday, Sunday, my sister has doctor’s appt. State clinic. Her physician was trained in Maryland, National Institute of Health. We walk into the clinic and it looks something like Southern California…kind of open, older tile floors, and the tell-tale aged yellowing walls. There is no receptionist, no insurance forms, no ‘take a number,’. I can peak slightly into the doctor’s office to see only a chair or two..obviously opposite his desk.
When we finally go inside, there is the desk with an older computer, monitor, printer on the side. The sink is behind the desk. To the left is a corner with an examination table, a role of wide what looks like paper towel, a trash can where all the used towel is pushed in, a plastic step up to the table, and a curtain that can be pulled closed. This is the physicians office and examintation room.
There is no scale. The doctor takes his own notes, pulls the record up on the computer..no charts..write and enters prescriptions. he does wash his hands when we enter and after he examins my sister. The doctor is not wearing a white coat. He is in casual clothing, casual, and is very personal with Aliza.
I asked him if he studied in the US. He said that he had studied in Maryland, at NIH. He said the physicians in the US have more resources and better salaries. However, he also said he was proud to be in Israeli physician.
Tomorrow Kaplan Hospital.