Managers at AZ Zeno Hospital in Knokke-Heist have suspended a radiologist due to "antisemitic" statements in a patient's medical record and for sharing social media posts, according to an article posted on 2 September by De Specialist, the Belgian news website for healthcare professionals.
The original complaint about the radiologist was connected to a medical report about a 9-year-old patient with arm pain. Under the heading “current problem,” along with a description of her pain and confirmation that she had no allergies, the radiologist had noted that the patient was "Joods (Israël)" (Jewish [Israel]). The patient’s family made the complaint when they saw the note, the article pointed out.
Hospital spokesperson Julie De Wale explained that the notation of the child’s religion was meant for medical purposes, because knowing a patient’s religion and ethnic background may provide relevant information for treatment, such as cultural considerations or potential genetic issues.
De Wale added that the hospital understood why the inclusion of the information under the descriptive “current problem” heading could be construed as offensive and had removed this from the electronic medical record. Both the issue and the procedure were discussed with the patient, and the matter had been resolved satisfactorily.
It's unclear at present whether the radiologist himself actually wrote the words "Joods (Israël)" on the patient's medical record.
Social media posts
It was subsequently disclosed that the radiologist had previously shared antisemitic posts on his social media accounts, according to the Antwerp-based Jewish Information and Documentation Center (JID). Screenshots of these posts circulated throughout social media and were picked up by news media, allegedly inciting public anger and escalating the hospital’s investigation.
On Monday, 1 September, AZ Zeno suspended the doctor, effective immediately, and his information was removed from the hospital’s website. The hospital said that both internal and external investigations were being conducted and stressed that “there is no place for discrimination” at the facility.
The JID has commended the hospital’s actions, noting that the suspension sent a strong message that antisemitism would not be tolerated.
Belgium has experienced similar incidents involving alleged antisemitism in medical settings. In Brussels in 2018, a doctor was suspended after a medical report about a Jewish patient included an unnecessary reference to the patient’s religion. The inclusion sparked criticism and public debate about the relevance of recording religious information in medical files.
Belgium has experienced similar incidents involving alleged antisemitism in medical settings, according to a 2 September report on BrusselsMorning. "In Brussels in 2018, a doctor was suspended after a medical report about a Jewish patient included an unnecessary reference to the patient’s religion. The inclusion sparked criticism and public debate about the relevance of recording religious information in medical files," the article stated.
Read the De Specialist article here (in Dutch).
