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Recently, I needed to have EMG and nerve conduction tests done in a Jerusalem Hospital which, for now, will remain nameless.
Upon entering, it was required that I hand over my hitcheivut for these tests to one of the secretaries at the outpatient desk, rather than going directly to the Mirpot, in this case Neurology.
Normally, the secretary would then hand you a paper with your name and teudah zehut (ID#) and a number of detachable stickers with your name a ID# on them. In this case, they handed me nothing and one of the secretaries instructed me to go the Mirpot (presumably meaning: department) Neurology — the beginnings of a what turned into a huge balagon.
There I sat for a while until they called my first name: Mark (my English name and the name on my teudah zehut). They call only the person’s first name, not their family name. So, when the techie called Mark, I responded and went to the appropriate room. I’ll repeat again, my hitcheivut called for EMG and nerve conduction tests.
But this techie insisted that my hitcheivut was for only one test, which I later found out to be neither of the tests listed on my hitcheivut. She waved in my face a strange form I had never seen before with the name of a doctor completely unfamiliar to me.
When I persisted and pulled out a copy of my hitcheivut and insisted on both tests, things got ugly. An arrogant doctor intervened and they both verbally abused and tried to threaten and intimidate me due to my persistence — told me that I had no appointment and threatened me with hospital security and police. The doctor in question laid hands on me, with possible intent other than performing tests.
Meanwhile, three other ladies working in the Mirpot ultimately sorted out the problem and affirmed that all the while, I was totally correct as to the two tests listed on my hitcheivut. These other three ladies apologized profusely for way I had been treated. The arrogant, abusive doctor finally did both tests.
It turned out that, as a result of the hospital’s outpatient desk paperwork lapse, two patients, myself and another guy named Mark, both of us almost received the wrong tests. The other Mark was scheduled for a brain scan. I have subsequently reported both the doctor and the techie to the hospital’s Manager.
How to avoid such fiascos when taking tests at a hospital:
1/ Have your teudah zehut with you.
2/ Have multiple copies of your hitcheivut with you.
3/ Make sure that when you register, either with the outpatient desk, or with the applicable mirpot, that you are given a paper with your name and teudah zehut (ID#) and a number of detachable
stickers with your name a ID# on them.4/ When your first name is called, confirm that they actually mean you by confirming your family name and your teudah zehut #.
5/ If anything seems not right to you, say something. Do
Not be docile.