Israel’s entire health system plans to strike for two hours Wednesday morning to protest attacks against medical personnel at hospitals and community HMO (kupat holim) health clinics.
A horrifying incident occurred in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon on Tuesday, involving a 78-year-old mentally ill Holocaust survivor who was angry at his local HMO clinic because of treatment he had recently received.
The man walked into the clinic and entered the nurse’s station where 55-year-old Tova Kararo, a nurse who has worked in the field for more than 25 years, was seated. Pouring flammable liquid on the floor and near the nurse, the elderly man lit the fluid, which immediately ignited, setting the nurse ablaze.
A doctor grabbed an extinguisher and jumped into the fire together with a patient who was sitting nearby, both trying desperately to put out the flames and save Nurse Kararo. Firefighters who were called to the scene rushed in together with paramedics from Magen David Adom who tried to treat the nurse, but to no avail: they were forced to pronounce her death. Three other individuals suffered smoke inhalation. They were taken to nearby Wolfson Medical Center.
Police Chief Sigal Bar Tzvi explained to reporters the alleged arsonist had told police he didn’t pour the liquid directly on the nurse, and had ‘only wanted to burn the furniture’ to protest the pain he was suffering. He was arrested and taken into custody.
A lighter and an empty one-liter bottle believed to have been used by the man were found at the scene.