Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., September 05, 2008 Elul 5, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:50 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Court: Health Min. TB response misleading By Ran Reznick The Health Ministry's response regarding the tuberculosis tests given to African refugees in the Ketziot detention center is "wrong and misleading," the custody tribunal dealing with illegal migrants said in July. Thousands of asylum-seekers have been released from the Ketziot detention center in the Negev without being tested for TB or receiving preventive treatment, jeopardizing public health in Israel, the tribunal said. Yet Dr. Itamar Grotto, the Health Ministry's head of public health, told the tribunal that the ministry's recommendations were and remain "filling a medical questionnaire ... conducting a chest X-ray for every inmate." Advertisement The tribunal, which is run by the Justice Ministry, said active TB has been identified in 12 refugees who were held at Ketziot, and the percentage of refugees with active disease among all TB patients in Israel has doubled since 2006, from 14 percent to 28 percent. Yet the health and interior ministries allow the refugees to move to other parts of the country without having conducted a chest x-ray that would identify the disease, and without other essential tests. The head of the Health Ministry's tuberculosis and AIDS department, Dr. Daniel Shem-Tov, told the tribunal in May that the failure to conduct the tests and vaccinations were endangering public health. So far some 5,000 refugees from 25 African states have been held in Ketziot at the Interior Ministry's order. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Playing with fire Sarkozy warns Iran it risks Israeli strike on nuke program. Our own desert island Israel tries to lure 'Big Brother' type U.S. reality TV series.

Read & React ANALYSIS / France elbows U.S. aside in Syria negotiations Responses: 32 Obama makes peace with Fox News while McCain shuns CNN Responses: 44 Giuliani: Obama backtracked on undivided Jerusalem Responses: 48 Biden: AIPAC doesn't speak for Israel, no matter what it insists Responses: 85 More Headlines 22:40 Nasrallah: We still seek fallen guerillas' bodies 01:39 Assad: We won't cut our ties with Hezbollah, despite Israel talks 22:01 IDF court jails Israeli Arab tracker for spying for Hezbollah 02:38 Kadima sources: Olmert undermining successor to stay in power for longer 01:25 Chabad envoy to Alaska: Palin staunch friend of Jews 22:41 Jerusalem police limit entry of Palestinians for Ramadan prayer 02:10 Education Ministry to ban 'Bible Lite' study booklet 13:52 ANALYSIS / France elbows U.S. aside in Syria negotiations 19:21 U.S. federal court revokes citizenship of former Nazi police officer 16:52 Court allows rightists to march through Israeli Arab town 04:55 New 'chameleon' uniforms meant to boost IDF performance in different environments 13:54 Sarkozy gives Assad letter from Noam Shalit to his son Gilad 19:26 Jerusalem residents claim victory over controversial real estate plan 13:53 Giuliani to GOP: Obama backtracked on undivided Jerusalem 01:35 Sarkozy warns Iran it risks Israeli strike on nuke program Previous Editions Select Day 04 sep 03 sep 02 sep 01 sep 31 aug 29 aug 28 aug 27 aug 26 aug 25 aug 24 aug 22 aug

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