Giant lawsuit against hospital that released patient who threatened to commit suicide

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A 70-year-old resident of Hadera, married and grandfather of grandchildren, was diagnosed with depression about nine years before he decided to end his life. He was treated with drugs and psychological assistance, he was under constant supervision of the psychiatric department of the Hillel Yaffe city hospital.

In early 2018, A. came to several meetings and tests in the psychiatric department of the hospital and indicated to the doctors that his condition is deteriorating. After hospitalization and treatment, he was discharged, then he returned and warned the psychiatrist that he had tried to commit suicide the day before, she let him go – and he committed suicide.

According to a lawsuit filed in the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court against the Hillel Yaffe Hospital, A.'s family members claim that the severe depression he suffered from did not improve even after taking medication prescribed by doctors, and during conversations with them, he again mentioned his desire to commit suicide.

According to lawyers Ran Shapir and Rotem Tsioni from the Almog-Shapira law firm, representing the interests of the widow of the deceased, when A. last visited the psychiatric department of that hospital, he admitted to the attending physician that he had tried to commit suicide the day before, and she let him go, agreeing with him that A. would return to the hospital in about five days. In the lawsuit, the widow's lawyer alleges that, as a result of a misunderstanding, the medical record from the deceased's last appointment with the doctors was deleted from the hospital's computer and they were told that it was impossible to find it – although other records were found.

In a recently filed In the lawsuit, the family seeks compensation in the maximum amount provided for by the powers of the court, which is 2.5 million shekels.

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