Doctors suspected of taking bribes for toddler's cancer care

Two senior physicians at Tel Hashomer hospital arrested yesterday are suspected of accepting bribes from the parents of a child in exchange for her cancer treatment. Twenty-month-old Lihi Pinkosvitz died of the illness. Former pediatric oncology chief Itamar Avigad and his deputy Yoram Neumann denied the allegations under interrogation, saying the parents are falsely accusing them for "personal vengeance."

About one month ago, the toddler's parents sought to file a complaint with the Messubim police against their daughter's doctor, whose negligence and inappropriate treatment they said caused her death. Under questioning, the parents recounted the entire chain of events from the beginning of their daughter's care at Sheba Medical Center. They explained how they paid money to two doctors for advancing her treatment. The police decided to conduct two investigations into two sets of suspects, and transferred the bribery probe to the Tel Aviv fraud squad.

The parents reported that some time before her death, the toddler was examined by Dr. Neumann, who found she needed abdominal surgery. However, Dr. Avigad informed them that no operating rooms or staff were available to perform the operation. The parents said they slowly understood that money would help solve the problem, even though no one told them outright. The parents therefore came to the hospital with an envelope containing $2,000. They gave $,1000 each to Neumann and Avigad, which the parents say the doctors accepted and thanked them for. Shortly thereafter, their daughter was operated on.

The fraud squad was impressed by the parents' testimony, and after a short investigation, arrested Avigad and Neumann yesterday. The police arranged a meeting between the doctors and the parents, and sources close to the investigation called the results very severe, "to the extent that it is difficult to imagine the parents made up their claims."

The police are now investigating whether there are other cases of parents of sick children who paid the two doctors for better care. The police clarified that parents in this position will not be investigated for paying bribes.

The doctors were released on bail yesterday, but the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court ordered them not to go to Tel Hashomer.

Sheba Medical Center responded that the two doctors under arrest are considered senior and highly esteemed in their field. Hospital management stated in response: "The medical center opposes any kind of payment for medical services in public medicine. We hope the police uncover the truth."

Yuval Azoulay contributed to this report.